


Mandalorian Gothic

by timetoucheseternity



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Prequel Trilogy
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Body Horror, Brief mention of Cannibalism, F/M, Horror, M/M, Mentions of Suicide, Mind Control, Minor Drug Usage, No Beta We Die Like Clones, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Psychological Horror, clones are cousins, cousin marriage, creepy fungus, no rape -- but non consensual groping and kissing, the villians are keeping their bloodline 'pure', used by the villians
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-01
Updated: 2020-12-01
Packaged: 2021-03-08 23:47:22
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 30
Words: 53,480
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27335161
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/timetoucheseternity/pseuds/timetoucheseternity
Summary: Obi-Wan receives a frantic letter from his younger brother, Anakin is unhappy in his new marriage in Mandalor and needs Obi-Wan to save him. When Obi-Wan arrives in Mandalor, the Vizsla family is not welcoming, their house is creepy and he is barely allowed to see Anakin. His only ally is the shy youngest son, Jango. Jango seems to want to help Obi-Wan, but he might also be hiding dark secrets. Obi-Wan must confront the legacy of the Vizslas and their hold on the area if he wants to save his brother.Or the Mexican Gothic (by Silvia Moreno-Garcia) AU that no one asked for.
Relationships: Bo-Katan Kryze/Pre Viszla, Jango Fett/Obi-Wan Kenobi, Obi-Wan Kenobi & Anakin Skywalker, Satine Kryze/Anakin Skywalker
Comments: 114
Kudos: 85





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hello, this is my first time writing fic, and I'm working on it as a NaNoWriMo project. It is a pretty faithful AU of Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia and will deal with some classic gothic horror tropes. I will update the tags as the story goes along to avoid spoilers, but please remember this is a horror story and will deal with appropriately heavy subject matter.

Obi-Wan looked at his costume and grimaced. It was not the best one he had ever put together, but it would have to do for the night. Honestly, he had been so distracted by his latest research topic that the party had slipped his mind until he got the last minute reminder from Bail. He supposed it was good Bail knew him well enough that he didn’t mind sending reminders. But, enough stalling. The costume was fine, and Bail would be arriving any minute. 

Obi-Wan adjusted his robes one final time and headed to the hall. He was dressed as a warrior monk -- at Bail’s suggestion -- in long flowing cream and tan robes. There was a sword at his hip and some very nice leather boots to tie it all together. It wasn’t just the costume causing Obi-Wan anxiety, Padme was hosting the party and he hadn’t seen her since the disastrous end of her relationship with Anakin. But, at some point he would just have to get over the awkwardness. She was an important part of the social scene in Coruscant, and his father expected him to continue to charm them all. 

Bail arrived and interrupted his musing before they could continue. Bail looked stunning in his costume of course, a matching warrior monk, and his partner in the group costume Bail had planned.

“Hello there! Thanks for the reminder Bail, I’m afraid I would have forgotten the party otherwise” Obi-Wan said. 

“No problem, you even manage to look handsome as ever” Bail replied. 

Obi-Wan blushed a bit, as he gave Bail a hug. The two of them continued to chat easily as they picked up Breha from her house, she was dressed in a flowing silver and gold dress -- the personification of the mystical force the monks worshiped. Then the three of them headed to the party. 

Padme was a fantastic host, and the decorations, refreshments and entertainment were all perfect. Bail and Breha took turns dancing with Obi-Wan, and trying their best to make him blush more. Just as Obi-Wan was starting to relax, it appeared Padme was too busy to speak with him, and planning on taking Bail and Breha up on their invitation to return home with them after the party, one of the footmen came to find him. 

“Sir, you had a call, your father requests your presence at home,” he said to Obi-Wan. 

Obi-Wan groaned, of course the only person who would call him in the middle of a party was his father. He grimaced and said "Bail, Breha, I've had a lovely time tonight but it appears my father is summoning me home. My apologies, I'll speak to you later." 

Breha gave a small sigh of disappointment, but smiled and said "of course Obi-Wan, we appreciate you joining us and look forward to seeing you soon." Bail gave Obi-Wan a wink from beside Breha as they both hugged him goodbye. 

It was a pain getting home, no one ever left Padme's parties early so finding a cab nearby was impossible. Obi-Wan grumbled a bit, and glad for his boots started walking. Qui-Gon wouldn’t have called him unless it was important, especially since Obi-Wan primarily only attended these social events at the urging of his father; he was the dutiful son, and did as was required of him as the eldest son of an influential family. His father hated the social requirements that came with their station in Coruscant, and as soon as Obi-Wan turned 16, Qui-Gon put him in charge of them instead. It was just one more of Obi-Wan’s many responsibilities, he had grown up fast after his mother died giving birth to his brother. His father was too busy to care for an infant, so the task had mostly fallen to 10 year old Obi-Wan and a rotating crop of nannies. 

At least the long walk sobered Obi-Wan up, it wouldn’t do to speak with his father even slightly tipsy as he had been at the party. Heading into his father’s study he rapped on the door frame as he said “Sir, how can I be of service?” 

“Oh good, I was worried you were going to take all night. Obi-Wan, I’ve received a most alarming letter from your brother” Gui-Gon said. 

“What?” Obi-Wan was confused, they hadn’t received any mail since Anakin’s wedding a year ago. He assumed it was because Anakin was still angry at their father, and if there was one thing Anakin was great at it was holding grudges. “Do you have the letter?” He asked. 

“Yes, read it for yourself, it is quite concerning” Qui-Gon said as he passed the letter to his son. 

The letter was a mess, Anakin had always had terrible handwriting, but Obi-Wan usually had little trouble reading it. But now, his handwriting was also unsteady and shaky, as if it had been written under duress. 

_ … she is trying to poison me. And this house is helping her. It is sick. Full of rot and decay. I made a mistake coming here and now I will pay for it. Father, send Obi-Wan. I should never have left him. He is the only one who can help me now. I have lost track of time, it just slips away from me. My name is ANAKIN, Ana-Kin, and I am a person. I am Anakin. They come at night, the whispers. I bar my door and they still come. They come and tempt me and my thoughts are not my own. The snake is eating its tail. The foul ground beneath us curses me, the wall close in. Obi, you must come. You must save me. I cannot save myself, the threads bind me to the walls and will not release. You will have to cut them out, no matter the pain. Please. PLEASE. OBI. Obi. Anakin. Anakin SKYWALKER, anakin can’t come out to play. Skywalker must stay inside like a good boy. Where it is safe ------- not safe.  _

_ Save me. Obi. save me one more time. Bring me home. Hurry -- Anakin.  _

In the margins numbers and circles and pictures were scrawled. One was clearly a skull of some kind, but with long tusks reaching down around a long, thin jaw. Obi-Wan had never seen anything like it before. 

Obi-Wan hadn’t spoken to his brother since he left; Anakin had also blamed Obi-Wan for the mess with Padme. Ever since he was little, Obi-Wan had protected him from the worst of their father’s ambivalence towards his sons. Anakin looked to Obi-Wan to handle their father, and when Obi-Wan couldn’t stop Qui-Gon this last time he had felt betrayed. 

Anakin was ten years younger than Obi-Wan, and when he was just 18 he fell in love with Padme. Unfortunately, she was 10 years his senior, and from an opposing political family. Obi-Wan had helped hide their relationship for as long as possible, but Anakin was never subtle and inevitably Qui-Gon found out. He was furious and forbid the relationship. Anakin had tried to keep seeing Padme, but she wasn’t as foolish and broke it off. Anakin never really recovered from this broken relationship. When Satine Kyrze arrived a few months later, she swept into society and swept Anakin off his feet. They had a quick courtship, but she had seemed like a good match for Anakin. She was calm when he was passionate, well spoken and well bred. They were both tall, stunning blondes, and she was only a year older than him. Qui-Gon had been a bit wary of her origins, she was from Mandalor, a small country far from Coruscant, but he did not have the heart to stop a second relationship and Anakin seemed happy. So, they married after a few months and moved back to her family home in Mandalor. Anakin had been overjoyed to leave Coruscant and its memories of Padme behind. 

But, this -- it seemed not all was as happy in Mandalor as they had assumed. And this worried Obi-Wan. He had always felt responsible for Anakin; he had practically raised him when Qui-Gon was distracted with his business and political connections. Reading Anakin beg him to come to Mandalor tore at his heart. 

“Well, I’m sure you can see why I called you home,” Qui-Gon said. “I need you to leave for Mandalor immediately. Obviously things were strained with Anakin when he left, but we cannot ignore this letter and his need. I fear he has suffered a mental break, and needs immediate medical care. Mandalor is not known for their doctors, especially compared to Coruscant. So we’ll probably need to bring him home for treatment.” 

Obi-Wan agreed, “Of course father, but I was to attend several important social events and start on my latest research project. The research can be delayed, but you’ll have to at least make an appearance at those events in my stead.” 

Qui-Gon looked unhappy, but he nodded. “Prepare a list of the vital engagements, and I’ll attend.” He then stood up and pulled Obi-Wan into an awkward hug, “I’m counting on you to sort this out, and bring him home.” 


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Obi-Wan arrives in Mandalore and meets Jango

Obi-Wan didn't get much sleep that night. He had to pack, prepare his father to attend social engagements for the foreseeable future and he worried about Anakin. Luckily he was good about multitasking, otherwise the worry would have kept from doing anything. Eventually he gave up on sleeping and left the house early to get a spot on the first train to Mandalore. He had to take a detour to the telegram office to send word of his journey to the Vizsla family and ask to be met at the train station when he arrived. 

Obi-Wan knew that Mandalore was several days' journey from Coruscant, but he hadn’t realized he would have to change trains in Alderaan and again in Corellia before arriving. He had never been so far from the Core before. That made the journey more complicated, and meant he would have a difficult time leaving in a hurry, since the trains between Corellia and Mandalore only ran a few days a week. 

Eventually he was able to settle into his seat, and fall into a light meditation as he watched the lights of Coruscant fall away behind him. The trip was comfortable enough, but the worry and switching of trains made it difficult for Obi-Wan to sleep much. Instead he spent the time refreshing his mando’a skills. Despite what Qui-Gon planned for his heir, Obi-Wan really would have preferred to spend his life studying linguistics. He had several masters degrees in various languages and had originally started studying mando’a as a peace offering when Anakin and Satine got engaged. He had assumed he would hear from Anakin not long after the wedding and wanted to be able to speak the language when he visited. Of course, he hadn’t expected his first visit to be under such difficult circumstances. At least there were several Mandalorians returning home, so he was able to practice during the trip. 

He was so focused on his studies he almost missed the way the scenery around him changed. Gradually the train headed into the mountains, at first it was beautiful, but the closer they got to Mandalore the more desolate the land looked. The trees were scraggy and the ground was full of rocks. Few plants seemed to grow and there was a slight fog hanging in the air. Obi-Wan was used to busy Coruscant and couldn’t help disliking the eerie calm and empty land around him as the train pulled into Mandalore. Compounding this unease,  y the time the train pulled into Mandalore he was emotionally and physically exhausted. It was only early afternoon though so he just sighed and gathered his things and left the train. 

As Obi-Wan left the station he studied the town around him. Mandalore looked small, rural and run-down. He was only passingly familiar with its history, but the Vizsla family Beskar mine was well known and he assumed the town would have profited more from its presence. Instead it looked like the money must have stayed in the family. There were only a few people on the street, and they all looked tired and sad. In general the people seemed to be a mix of nationalities. Many of them were wearing sets of traditional armor, but most of the armor looked to be made from duresteel instead of Beskar like he would have thought.  The armor sets included the recognizable mandalorian helmets, 

Not far from the station Obi-Wan did see one person in a set of Beskar armor, it gleamed silver and blue in the weak sunlight. The man was leaning against the hood of a vintage speeder and looking directly at him with his helmet sitting on the hood. He had an intense frown, most of it communicated in the set of his heavy eyebrows but Obi-Wan realized immediately  _ oh he was attractive.  _ He looked to be a bit shorter than Obi-Wan, but much more solid, with beautiful curly dark hair and expressive brown eyes. He couldn’t have looked more different from Satine. The frown didn’t shift at Obi-Wan’s clear interest, but his eyes seemed to soften a bit. 

Obi-Wan tore his eyes away from the man to look a bit closer at the car, there was the sigil of Clan Vizsla on the door.  _ Well, this must be my ride,  _ he thought,  _ at least they got my telegram.  _

He approached the car and called out in mando’a “Su cuy'gar, I’m Obi-Wan Kenobi, thanks for coming to pick me up.” 

The man pushed off the car, shrugged and grunted in mando’a “I’m Jango. Welcome to Mandalore, let's head out to Concordia House” he said. 

Obi-Wan quickly put his luggage in the trunk and got in, since it looked like Jango would be happy to leave him on the side of the road. They drove in silence for a bit, before Obi-Wan decided to try and lighten the mood  “this is my first time in Mandalore, I wasn’t expecting so many of the citizens to be wearing the traditional armor in their daily lives.”  “I assume Mr. Vizsla is expecting me, is Concordia House far from town?” 

Jango glanced at him suspiciously then said “Yes, grandpa Tor sent me to fetch you. The trip isn’t too far, but the roads are bad so it will take some time.” 

“Oh. Well thank you again for meeting me. Why is your house called Concordia?” Obi-Wan asked. 

“That is just what we call it. Grandfather Tor always believed we should have a proper Core home. We even have our own cemetery behind the house, the whole area is built in proper Core style, he even imported Core dirt to build the house on” explained Jango.

“He must have missed Coruscant very much.”

“I guess, and ah -- I know you’re trying to blend in by speaking mando’a, but it isn’t spoken at Concordia house. Grandfather Tor doesn’t speak it at all and my mother could care less to learn it” Jango said, switching to basic. 

Obi-Wan hummed in disappointment, he had been looking forward to learning more of the language while he was here. The road continued to wind its way higher into the mountains. Then he asked “So who are you?”

“Jango” he said with a strong bite. 

“I know that, but who are you? Satine’s brother? A long lost uncle? The family black sheep?” Obi-Wan tried to joke, the same way he would with an acquaintance he wanted to make a good impression on at a party. 

Jango looked angry again, and said “I am Satine’s cousin. My mother, Ventress, runs the house for Grandfather Tor. My older brother Pre is the heir, and since he recently had a son I’m just the unneeded spare.” His hands tightened on the steering wheel, and he tensed up.

“Oh well, I can say from experience that being the heir is not much fun at all. You have to follow the will of your father and can’t make your own choices” Obi-Wan said. 

Jango smiled a bit at that, and Obi-Wan was pleased -- he really had a lovely smile. 

Obi-Wan then changed the subject, “hopefully you’re a good cousin to Satine and Anakin. I hated all my cousins when we were little, they were always bigger than me and enjoyed throwing me in the pond.”

“What makes a good cousin?”

“Ah, well someone who doesn’t throw their cousin into the pond I guess.” 

“We don’t have a pond at Concordia House, so I’ve never thrown either of them into the pond.” Jango seemed to be relaxing, and Obi-Wan was glad, he wanted Jango to enjoy his company. 

“Is this weather typical?” Obi-Wan asked as he gestured to the increasingly thick fog. 

“Yes, for most of the year the mountains hold the fog, that’s part of what makes the roads so dangerous -- unless you know the turns it can be all too easy to miss one and just drive off the side of the mountain.” 

“Interesting, does the fog interfere with the mining at all?” Obi-Wan asked. 

Jango shrugged, “I’m not sure, the mine hasn’t been functional in about twenty years.” 

“What? But Beskar is still so profitable, and Mandalore is the only source of it!” Obi-Wan was shocked, he had read about the precious metal and nowhere did it mention that the sole Beskar mine was closed. 

“There was a big accident at the mine, and we haven’t had the workers to clear it up and restore the mine.” 

Privately Obi-Wan realized workers probably meant money, and Satine’s marriage to Anakin started to make more sense. Qui-Gon had put away a lot of money for his sons, so Anakin had probably brought the resources to reopen the mine with him to the marriage. In light of the letter, it planted an extra seed of doubt about Satine. 

Before he could respond, the car abruptly pulled up into a clearing at the top of the mountain. All around them were the rough trees and forest, but the house was huge and imposing. It was distinctly Core in construction, nothing like the mandalorian buildings they had passed in the town. It rose four stories high, and had dark siding, and only a few small windows. Behind the house he could just see the fence around the graveyard and some headstones pushing up into the air. The house was run down, it seemed to scream of old splendor. It was obviously old, but it seemed to have been well kept until the last decade or so. What he could see of the curtains looked yellowed and moth eaten. 

Obi-Wan slowly realized that Jango had parked the car while he was taking in the house, and he turned to see the strangest expression on Jango’s face. He was watching Obi-Wan and seemed sad, but resigned. When he met Obi-Wan’s eyes he breathed out deeply then took a shaky breath and said, “Welcome to Concordia House.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Because I'm definitely not sticking to cannon here is everyone's age:
> 
> Tor -- 90  
> Ventress -- 57  
> Pre -- 35  
> Jango -- 26  
> Satine -- 21  
> Obi-Wan -- 30  
> Anakin -- 20


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Obi-Wan meets most of the family and endures his first dinner in Mandalore.

The door creaked open to a tall man, with extensive facial tattoos. He bowed shallowly and took Obi-Wan’s bags before disappearing into the gloom of the house. Before Obi-Wan could try and follow, a tall pale woman with dark hair came down the central stairs to meet them. Jango headed to her side, guiding Obi-Wan along with a hand at the small of his back.

  


“Mother, can I introduce Obi-Wan Kenobi? Obi-Wan this is my mother Ventress” Jango said. 

  


“Hello, thank you for welcoming me to your home” Obi-Wan said as he took her outstretched hand and bowed over it. 

  


Ventress looked down at him, and sneered a bit as she said “Of course, I hope you’ll find Concordia House satisfactory. Jango, please show Obi-Wan to his room -- Maul already delivered his bags to the yellow guest room. Dinner will be served promptly at seven, please come dressed properly.” She then nodded and started to sweep off into the house. 

  


Obi-Wan quickly stopped her, saying “May I see my brother first? I’m anxious to see to his health.”

  


“Oh, I am sorry but he has retired for the evening. You may see him at dinner if he is feeling up to it, otherwise perhaps you can see him for tea tomorrow morning.” Ventress seemed bored as she said this, and clearly wished to move on. “Also, before I forget, please keep all sounds down. My father is not well and he needs silence.” 

  


“But, I’ve come all this way specifically to see Anakin! What is wrong with him?” Obi-Wan asked. 

  


“It simply won’t be possible for you to see him now. He is under very strict orders from the family physician to rest as much as possible. Anakin has an acute case of tuberculosis and exhaustion” said Ventress. Before Obi-Wan could protest again she looked at Jango and then swept off into the house. 

  


Jango sighed, but said “if you’ll follow me, you can get freshed up for dinner.” 

  


Obi-Wan desperately wished to make a scene and demand to see his brother, but Anakin had always been the dramatic brother and he had too long of a habit of following social conventions. So he allowed Jango to lead him upstairs to his room. 

  


The entire house was old, clearly it had been decorated at a time when dark woods, heavy fabrics and excessive carvings were common. The color pallet was dark and foreboding and the furnishing hadn’t been updated in many years. There was a layer of neglect over the entire house. It even smelled musty. The windows looked even smaller from inside the house, and the thick curtains blocked much of the light that avoided the fog. Here and there on the wall he could see pieces of polished Beskar. Some armor pieces, some statues and sculptures, and even a few ancient looking weapons. The pieces all looked old, obviously made back before the mine had stopped working. 

  


Obi-Wan preferred the more modern, lighter style that had come into fashion recently. He had to hide his shudder as they walked through more dark, damp corridors on the way to his room. Jango didn’t say much as they walked, he pointed out the dining room and otherwise was silent until they reached the residential wing. 

  


“There is your room, mine is just across the hall. Pre and his wife share the suite on the left, but since she just gave birth she is also under strict bed rest for the time being” Jango said. “Do you want to meet me in the hall before dinner? Or are you fine walking down on your own?” 

  


“I will see you here at six fifty then,” and with that Jango gave Obi-Wan another intense, searching look before going into his room. 

  


Obi-Wan opened his door, hig bags were indeed in the room already. The bedding looked clean, but the whole room was dark and musty. The yellow wallpaper was tinged green in the corners and along the ceiling. At least there was an attached bathroom. After several days on the train Obi-Wan was more than ready to get cleaned up. 

  


The main feature of the bathroom was the enormous clawfoot bathtub. Which, a shower would have been better, but the house was outdated enough that the bath made sense. When he turned on the water, it ran yellow at first. But after the pipes cleared the water came out hot and plentiful. Unfortunately, it had a faint sulphuric scent. But, Obi-Wan was beyond caring. By the time he had pulled himself out of the bath, he was almost late for dinner. He hurried to dress, pulling out a gray suit and white shirt. Not his most exciting outfit, but he had had a long few days and just wanted to get through dinner and hopefully see his brother. 

  


He met Jango in the hallway and they exchanged brief smiles as they headed for dinner. 

  


The dining room was dark and oppressive. The only source of light were beskar candelabras set on the table. The dishes were also made of beskar, so they reflected the candlelight and threw odd and twisting shadows on the walls and ceiling. It was a frivolous use of the precious metal, renowned for strength and used primarily for armor, the beskar dishes were an extravagant display of wealth -- but one that was clearly from decades ago. 

  


Obi-Wan sat in the chair Jango directed him to, and watched as a moment later Satine swept into the room. She was much as he remembered, tall and imposing, a cool beauty that seemed almost brittle. Obi-Wan inclined his head as he greeted her “Hello again Satine. Will Anakin be joining us for dinner?” 

  


“Obi-Wan, welcome to our home. Unfortunately he was too tired tonight. Try again tomorrow, he is always more social in the mornings” Satine said. As she finished speaking another man walked into the room with Ventress on his arm. He looked remarkably similar to Ventress, also tall with an extremely pale complexion. He was bald, but had dark eyes that looked just like Ventress’s. 

  


He led Ventress to her chair, pulling it out for her before tucking her into the table. He then went to his chair, and nodded at Obi-Wan. “My name is Pre, please enjoy your dinner.” Looking at most of the family at the table, Obi-Wan felt bad for his joke about Jango being the black sheep. He did not seem to take after the rest of the family, and Obi-Wan briefly wondered why. 

  


At that, the butler from before arrived with a maid to serve everyone dinner. There were thick cuts of red meat with a bland brown sauce. There were potatoes and some oily vegetables. It was all extremely heavy food, and Obi-Wan did not feel up to it after his tiring travels. Everyone also had a heavy pour of a dark red wine. It was extremely cloying, and had an oddly sweet after taste. Obi-Wan drank some to be polite and tried his best to work through at least some of his dinner. 

  


Trying to avoid thinking about his meal too much, Obi-Wan said “Congratulations on your new son Pre, what is his name?” 

  


Only to be immediately pinned under Ventress’s furious glare as she hissed “We do NOT speak at mealtimes.” Obi-Wan blushed and ducked his head. The silence only grew more oppressive as dinner continued, but eventually it was over. As he was getting up, all he could think of was his bed and how inviting it sounded. Ending this confusing day and waking up tomorrow, when he could finally talk to his brother and start formulating a plan. But before he could leave the dining room he was stopped by Satine’s hand on his arm, “Obi-Wan, would you join Pre and I in the study for an after dinner drink? I think we have much to talk about.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> well, election anxiety had me finishing this chapter a day early, so bonus double upload today. If you live in the US, please vote tomorrow!!


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Obi-Wan talks with Satine and Pre.

As Obi-Wan followed Satine and Pre to the study, we wondered how Anakin could bear to live in this house. Anakin was always so bright, and busy and happy. The house was the opposite, and the people living in it seemed happy to stay small and quiet. From the time he was an infant, Anakin had been loud, and once he started walking he never stopped moving. As an adult he had learned self control, but he was always so much happier when he could fidget and tinker as much as he wanted. Imagining his very bright brother trying to live in this oppressive house made Obi-Wan gloomy. 

Before he could work a truly impressive brood on the subject, they arrived in the study. Like the rest of the house, it must have been impressive several decades ago. Now though it was just worn and dark. There was an old wooden desk, and a sitting area with dark green velvet chairs around the fireplace. The fire was burning, and Pre and Satine effectively herded him into one of the chairs, while Satine sat in the loveseat across from him. She perched there, seemingly at total ease. Pre went to a bar on the side of the room, and retrieved a decanter with the Vizsla crest blown into it. He then poured three glasses of what looked to be the same dark wine from dinner. Pre brought the first glass to Satine, then returned with a glass for Obi-Wan. He sat next to Satine, sprawling over the loveseat and invading her space. He raised his glass in a toast and took a big drink. Satine matched him, so Obi-Wan felt obligated to also drink. He didn’t like the wine anymore than he did at dinner. 

At least in the study the fire let off more light and he could see Pre and Satine better than at dinner. Both had on matching outfits, that while being fashionable seemed to be made of older fabrics. Satine’s dress was a dark purple and fell in flowing ripples around her. The cut seemed even softer in comparison to her stiff posture and cold demeanor. Pre was in a black suit with a matching purple waistcoat and tie. But where Satine’s posture made her seem uncomfortable and older than her years, Pre had a smooth prowl about him. He seemed to stalk across the room and watched Obi-Wan with an intensity that seemed similar to Jango. But unlike Jango, when Pre looked at him Obi-Wan felt the beginnings of fear. He tried to shrug it off with another drink of wine. 

“Ah, at last another formal dinner has passed. To answer your earlier question, my boy’s name is Korkie. Did you enjoy the train ride all the way out here?” Asked Pre. 

“Oh, it was alright,” said Obi-Wan, “I’m afraid I don’t travel much, so I don’t have many comparisons.”

Pre nodded and relaxed a bit more into the cushions. He sat his hand on Satine’s knee. She said “That’s good to hear. You must be an awfully devoted brother to come all this way to see Anakin, despite your recent ----” and she paused for a rather long moment “falling out.” Her tone was flat, not much warmth or curiosity behind her words.

At this Pre laughed a bit, and gestured for Obi-Wan to take another drink with him. “Can’t say I’d make the trip for Jango.” 

“Oh Pre, of course you would. Family is important.” Said Satine before Obi-Wan could respond through his mouthful of wine. 

“Anakin and I have always been close. I practically raised him, of course I came as soon as I heard he was ill. Can you tell me more about what the doctor said?” Said Obi-Wan. 

Satine seemed a bit frustrated as she said “I told your father it was nothing to worry about when we received your telegram. Unfortunately you had already left and were on your way. Anakin will be fine in no time. Our family physician has seen him several times, and diagnosed him with a simple case of tuberculosis which has caused some exhaustion.” 

“That doesn’t seem like nothing to me!” Obi-Wan interrupted. He was getting a bit more worked up than normal -- but passed it off as concern for his brother. 

Satine stiffened even more at the outburst, and Pre rubbed circles on her knee to calm her down. “Luckily, mountain air is well known to be helpful to those recovering from tuberculosis and the doctor has prescribed a course of medication that should clear it up in no time.” 

“The doctor comes to visit the house every few days to see my wife and Korkie, she had a rough pregnancy, and it was no trouble to add Anakin to his house calls” said Pre. His tone was dismissive. 

“Based on the letter I received it seems like Anakin has something other than tuberculosis” Said Obi-Wan. 

“He wrote that letter in the midst of a very high-fever. We all know that can cause all sorts of delusions, I don’t even know who he convinced to mail that. If I had known I would have kept him from worrying you” said Satine. 

“Well, I’d still like to speak to him as soon as possible. I’d also like to speak to the doctor who is treating him. If there is more to this than tuberculosis, Anakin will likely need to return to Coruscant with me for treatment” said Obi-Wan. 

“Absolutely not!” Said Satine. She looked furious now. 

Pre looked at Obi-Wan and gave a slight shake of his head. “Now, now Satine, Obi-Wan won’t take your husband away. Especially since as his spouse you can make his medical decisions.” He followed this up by squeezing her knee rather tightly. “Obi-Wan, do you like the wine? It is a local vintage.”

“It is a bit sweeter than I’m used to, but it is good” Obi-Wan looked at his glass and realized it was almost empty. Pre noticed as well and quickly fetched the decanter and refilled his and Satine’s glasses. 

“Would you like some more?” Pre asked.

“Oh no I really should be getting some sleep” said Obi-Wan. 

“I insist, we must properly welcome you to Mandalore and Concordia House.” With that Pre poured him another large glass of wine. “Tell me, what do you think of our humble home?” 

“It is lovely, it was obviously designed and decorated with care.” Said Obi-Wan carefully. 

“Yes, this style is so timeless and effortless isn’t it?” Asked Satine. “My grandmother decorated the entire house, she had an artist's eye for detail. We are so fortunate to live here.” 

“Mhmm” said Obi-Wan noncommittally as he took a large drink of wine. He was hoping that if he finished this glass first he could finally make his excuses and go to bed. All the wine on his nearly empty stomach was starting to make him feel a bit buzzed. Satine was part way through her second glass and she was finally relaxing a bit. She was leaning ever so slightly towards Pre on the couch. Pre seemed as sober as ever, but he had moved his hand from her knee to the back of the couch. 

“Tomorrow you should be able to meet grandfather. He had one of his treatments today, which should mean he will feel up to being social. He has been looking forward to meeting more of dear Anakin’s family” said Pre. 

“That sounds nice. How long has he lived in Mandalore?” Asked Obi-Wan. 

“He moved the family here when he was a young man, he built Concordia House and funded the Beskar mine. It's been oh almost eighty years?” said Pre. 

Obi-Wan took one final drink, and set his glass down. He stood up quickly and gave a shallow bow to Pre and Satine, “Thank you for the kind welcome. Now I must be off to bed. See you tomorrow.” As he walked back towards bed he saw Satine lean into Pre and start whispering. Pre moved his hand to cradle her towards him and answered in a low voice. 

The trip back to his room was dark and quiet. The whole house was deathly silent. Not even the floorboards creaked at his movements. 

His room was cold. But Obi-Wan was so tired he just put his dressing gown on top of his pajamas and nearly collapsed into bed. Sleep came quickly, but he slept fitfully. Obi-Wan kept waking up convinced he had heard a whisper of some sort. The first time he jolted awake and held still straining his ears to hear if someone was talking in the hall -- but everything was quiet. After that he never quite woke up all the way, but instead kept finding his dreams interrupted. 


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Obi-Wan finally gets to see Anakin.

Obi-Wan slept in later than he had planned. The exhaustion, the wine, and the overall quiet combined to keep him asleep much longer than normal. At home in Coruscant the noise from the city would normally wake him quiet early. But Concordia House was deathly silent. 

What finally woke him was the opening of his door. The Butler had opened the door to quietly deliver his breakfast on a tray. Obi-Wan had expected to be quiet hungry, but he found he wasn't. Breakfast was light, toast & butter and a hard-boiled egg with some weak tea. He nibbled on the toast, and drank most of his tea. Tea was one of his guilty pleasures, but what they served him was a nearly tasteless green tea. Given his choice, Obi-Wan would start his morning with a strong cup of cream earl grey tea. Perhaps if he talked to the kitchen staff they would bring him boiling water tomorrow and he could use some of the tea he brought with him to steep his own cup. 

After breakfast, Obi-Wan dressed in a comfortable outfit. He wanted to be ready to spend as much time with Anakin as possible, and focus on his brother instead of worrying about his clothing. He left his room to try and find Satine to see when he could visit Anakin. 

It took some time, but he eventually found her in the conservatory at the back of the house. He hadn't seen it when they arrived, and finding the glass enclosed room was a surprise. It seemed very bright compared to the rest of the house. The room was large, with many different plants growing around a small seating area with lounge chairs set up around a small fountain. The fountain bubbled slowly, the lip of its basin was one long snake, wrapped in a circle and eating its own tail. There were a few benches tucked in the corners, half hidden by climbing vines. 

Satine was engrossed in tending some lovely lilies, off to one side of the room. She had on a simple outfit with a large apron to keep her dress clean and long work gloves to protect her hands. The lilies were a lovely pale ivory. She turned at the sound of Obi-Wan's approach. "Good morning Obi-Wan. Did you sleep well?" 

"Yes thank you." Said Obi-Wan. 

"Do you like my lilies? I've been growing them since I was little." Asked Satine. 

"They are quite lovely. I wasn't expecting to see such a delicate flower so high up in the mountains. It must take a lot of skill to grow them." Said Obi-Wan, he had found that it never hurt to flatter those around him. 

Satine blushed slightly and looked down. "Thank you. It's been some time since we've had a visitor who could appreciate them."

"How is Anakin this morning?" Asked Obi-Wan, "do you think I could see him soon?" 

"He has perked up, the combination of his recent treatment and the news of your arrival seems to have done him good. He should be ready to see you shortly. If you don't mind waiting a moment I could escort you to his room." Answered Satine. 

"I don't mind waiting." Said Obi-Wan. 

True to her word Satine finished her tasks quickly. She then removed her gloves and apron, and tucked them into a hidden closet before reaching for Obi-Wan's arm. He let her take his arm and guide him into the house. They were silent for most of their walk, but as they approached the residential wing of the house Satine said "now please remember to not upset Anakin. His illness has made him a bit fragile, and he needs peace and quiet to recover. He probably will only be up for a short visit, so don't be alarmed if I ask you to leave. The doctor has been very clear about his treatment needs."

Obi-Wan slowly nodded, he would have preferred to spend as much time as possible with Anakin, but his wife did have the authority to enforce the doctors orders -- and Anakin was historically a horrible patient. Obi-Wan remembered whenever he got a cold as a child he would wine and hide from the doctors. He was forever insisting he was fine and didn't need rest. Obi-Wan remembered times when he had to force Anakin to rest and cut visits with his friends short. "Of course, I wouldn't want to impede his rest." 

With that Satine led him into Anakin's room. The room was very similar to his, old fashioned decorations with the original furniture. There didn't seem to be many personal items spread around the room. In fact it barely looked like Anakin lived in the room at all. 

Anakin was seated in a chair next to the room's single window. He was wrapped in a quilt and was staring out the window. He was pale, and his hair looked lanky. He had always been healthy looking, tanned from time in the sun and with plenty of muscle. Now he looked worn, like he hadn't seen the sun since he moved to Mandalor, he had lost weight and was on the edge of being too skinny. The window overlooked the old cemetery, with the mausoleum seeming much larger from this vantage point. 

Anakin didn't turn to acknowledge his guests. Satine drew Obi-Wan to the seat opposite Anakin and then released his arm and reached over to touch Anakin's face. She gently used her hand on his cheek to turn him to face her and said "Anakin, Obi-Wan is here to see you. I'm going to give some time alone to talk." With that she leaned over and brushed a light kiss along his lips. She then straightened up, smiled at Obi-Wan and left the room.

Anakin's eyes were glazed and he looked where she had been for a long moment before he seemed to come back to himself. His gaze sharpened and his eyes snapped to Obi-Wan's face, he broke into a bright sunny smile. Obi-Wan couldn't resist kneeling in front of him and drawing him into a hug. 

"Obi-Wan it is lovely to see you! I've missed you so much!" Said Anakin. 

Obi-Wan nearly started crying at that, "oh Anakin I was so worried for you." He said as he settled into the chair, but keeping ahold of Anakin's hands. 

"Why were you worried? And why did you come all this way?" Anakin asked, confused. 

"Father received your letter and sent me immediately to see how you were." Said Obi-Wan. 

Anakin's hands tightened around Obi-Wan's, "you shouldn't worry. I'm fine. Just a bit under the weather. The doctor says I'll be back to normal in no time." Anakin had never been a convincing liar, and he still wasn't. But Obi-Wan also felt a hint of fear from his brother, so he didn't immediately press him. 

"That is good to hear. Regardless, I've missed you terribly. The house is so quiet without you, and I never have anyone to meet me for midnight snacks. The parties are much less fun when I come home to a quiet kitchen." Obi-Wan said. 

"I miss our late night snacks. The way you always made grilled cheese and shared it with me." Said Anakin, he looked at Obi-Wan, seemingly trying to rememorize his face. "Would you mind reading to me? I have a book by my bed." 

"Of course." Obi-Wan quickly grabbed the book and opened it to start reading, the book naturally fell open to a page marked with a scrawled note. Anakin looked at Obi-Wan and reached over to tuck the note into his pocket. Obi-Wan nodded slightly and read to Anakin. He fell asleep after about twenty minutes, but Obi-Wan kept reading -- drinking in the sight of his brother -- until Satine came to fetch him after about an hour. 

He quickly returned to his room and fished out the note Anakin had slipped him. It was written in Anakin's typical scrawl. _Obi, please fetch me more medicine from Bant in town. I MUST get her medicine to counteract what they're giving me. Thank you for coming to save me. I love you._


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Obi-Wan makes a plan, and sees Jango again.

Obi-Wan felt like he couldn't breath. His hands started shaking; Anakin had never been capable of subtlety before he came to Concordia House. What had he endured here to finally learn that skill? Was Obi-Wan too late to save him? He reread the note. 

_ Obi, please fetch me more medicine from Bant in town. I MUST get her medicine to counteract what they're giving me. Thank you for coming to save me. I love you.  _

The second time through he felt like he understood what Anakin was asking, but he still felt short of breath and a rising panic. He paced around his room, trying to calm down and think of some rational steps to take. First he needed to find a way to get to town -- he could probably borrow the speeder. But he would need an excuse to leave so soon after arriving. Perhaps if he wrote a letter to Qui-Gon, then he could say he needed to go to town to visit the post office. Second he needed to ask around town to find Bant. Third he needed to convince her to give him the medicine. Fourth he needed to discretely get the medicine to Anakin. Fifth he should meet the doctor who was diagnosing him and try to get a second opinion from another doctor. Sixth he needed to convince Satine to let him take Anakin home. 

_ Ok _ , he thought,  _ this is doable, no more difficult than charming father's latest business associate or preparing my dissertation _ . Obi-Wan always felt better when he had a plan and while this wasn't a plan he could expect to implement today, he could at least visit town and talk to the local doctors. His plan decided, Obi-Wan took several deep breaths and waited until the shakiness in his hands subsided before he sat down to write a quick note to Qui-Gon. He detailed what he had seen so far, but unfortunately a lot of his unease came from emotional impressions. His only proof was the second note from Anakin, and while the method of delivery made him trust that Anakin wasn't experiencing a mental health crisis, his father likely wouldn't see the nuance the same way. Qui-Gon had a straightforward approach to life, and he often ignored facts that contradicted anything he had already decided on. So, in the end Obi-Wan decided to simply say that he had seen Anakin and thought he needed to return to Coruscant but wasn't sure it'd be easy to convince the Vizsla family to let him go. 

After finishing the letter, he closed his eyes and spent a few minutes in meditation to calm himself. After he was able to regain his center he left his room. 

He headed to Jango's room, hoping he could ask Jango to borrow the car. But, after knocking several times there was no answer. Obi-Wan did not want to talk to Pre or Satine about his plans, so he decided to look for the butler. The staff should know where the speeder was kept and help him get it started. 

It took a bit, but Obi-Wan eventually found the kitchen. He entered and saw the butler Maul working with the maid. It looked like they were starting to prepare lunch. "Hello, how are you both today? Do you think you could help me sort out the speeder? I'd like to go into town for the afternoon." 

The maid ignored his presence and continued her lunch preparations. Maul slowly raised his head to look at Obi-Wan, he squinted at him slightly then gave a very slow and dramatic shake of his head before looking back down. 

"Oh, well then do you think you could let me know where Jango is?" Asked Obi-Wan. 

The maid made no sign thay she heard him. Maul frowned, and continued to focus on his work. Obi-Wan sighed and was contemplating his next approach when Ventress cleared her throat from behind him. "Obi-Wan, please leave our staff alone. They work very hard and do not need to be bothered. What did you need?" 

At her words Obi-Wan startled, he hadn't heard her coming. Which, the house was so quiet he had assumed it would be easy to hear the family when they were close. "My apologies." Said Obi-Wan, "I was hoping I could borrow the speeder for the afternoon." 

"You already need to leave Concordia House?" Asked Ventress. 

"Yes, I have a letter to my father that I need to post. He was very worried for Anakin and I need to update him know as soon as possible." Said Obi-Wan. 

"Hmm well unfortunately the roads are much too dangerous for you to go alone. Especially in our speeder; it can be difficult to drive." Said Ventress, "If you need to go into town, you'll have to see if Jango is free to drive you." Her tone was bored, but she was studying him intently. She had a severe demeanor, and always looked to be minutes away from stabbing him.

Obi-Wan would much rather drive himself, but realized there wasn't any argument he could make. "That makes sense. Do you know where Jango is now?" He asked. 

"Last I saw him, he was headed to the cemetery. You should look for him there" she said, gesturing towards the back of the house. 

"I will, thank you." Said Obi-Wan, trying to end the conversation as quickly as possible. Ventress unnerved him, her dark eyes seemed to look through him. 

Obi-Wan headed for the back of the house, the cemetery wasn't too far from the house, but he had to walk along a path for a few minutes before he got to the gate. As he walked, the fog got progressively heavier and heavier until it was difficult to see very far. It was confusing, when he had looked at the cemetery from Anakin's room earlier there wasn't any fog to be seen. But now it was so thick Obi-Wan was almost worried he'd get lost. But, he  _ needed  _ to get into town so he pressed forward. The cemetery was surrounded by a low stone wall, with a large iron gate. The gate was partly open, so it looked like Jango was inside. 

Obi-Wan entered the cemetery. He hadn't dressed for the chill of a heavy fog, and was starting to shiver in his thin shirt. There were a lot of headstones around him. Especially for a family that had only been in Mandalor for three generations. He paused to read a few names, and they all said Viszla. As he was studying one from twenty years ago he heard rustling. 

Obi-Wan turned expecting to see Jango but he couldn't see anything through the fog. Instead he saw what seemed to be a pin prick of light. As he watched, it started to bob and slowly approach him. It was beautiful, a soft welcoming yellow. It was the warmest thing he had seen since arriving in Mandalore. Obi-Wan was memorized by it, but just as he started to reach out his hand to touch it -- the light dipped and retreated. Without thinking about it, Obi-Wan started to follow the light. It slowly led him through the graveyard and towards the woods. In a daze he continued to follow it. All he could think was that if he touched the light he would finally be warm again. It felt like so long since he had been warm. 

Just before he climbed over a broken section of wall, someone roughly grabbed his arm. The touch was starting. It was hot, and warmth slowly spread from the contact. He turned to see Jango standing right next to him. Jango looked concerned, his eyes were searching Obi-Wan's face as he said "Obi-Wan! Are you ok? Where were you going?" 

"Ah, Jango. I thought I saw something in the woods." 

"I've been trying to get your attention, you have to be more careful. The woods are not somewhere for an outside to explore." Jango look worried. But he was still holding onto Obi-Wan. His other hand clutched a basket. 

Obi-Wan leaned into the touch, the warmth from Jango felt like it was spreading into his chest. "Of course. Well I'm glad I found you, what are you doing out here?"

"I was collecting some mushrooms." Said Jango, "there are lots of rare mushrooms in these mountains. I study them. You look cold. Here take my sweater." With that he let go of Obi-Wan to pull off his thick cardigan. 

Obi-Wan shivered at the loss of the warmth. "I couldn't possibly take your sweater from you. Then you'll get cold." 

"I'm used to these temperatures, and you are not. Plus, I've got a long sleeved shirt on underneath while you've only got a t-shirt." Not giving Obi-Wan a further chance to argue, he brought his sweater up and settled it over Obi-Wan's shoulders. 

Obi-Wan slid his arms into the sleeves, and appreciated how it was still warm from Jango. The sweater was large on him and he felt so snuggled in it. 

"I was actually looking for you" at this Jango brightened "I was hoping you were free to drive me into town this afternoon" said Obi-Wan. 

"Sure, let me take these mushrooms back to the house and then we can go." Jango put his hand on the small of Obi-Wan's back and slowly led them back to the house. As he walked with Jango, Obi-Wan noticed the fog slowly receding. He couldn't tell if it was his imagination, but Jango seemed to move in a patch of clear air. But, Jango's touch was grounding. After his rough morning it soothed some of his anxiety. Step one down, just five more to go. 


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Obi-Wan and Jango head into town.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the delay! This weekend was just so much joy and everything that I got behind in posting. I have the next chapter finished and chapter 9 is in progress so I hopefully I'll be all caught up by tomorrow. 
> 
> I did add a new tag "minor drug usage", basically Obi-Wan vapes space weed to help with anxiety. I know nothing about vaping or weed, so hopefully it makes sense.

Jango said he would be just a few minutes, so Obi-Wan decided to wait for him in the driveway, without the fog and with Jango’s cardigan it was almost comfortable. Well, more comfortable than the silence and dark in the house. He turned his face to the weak sun and closed his eyes. For a moment he was able to forget the dread and fear that had been slowly building in him since his arrival at Concordia House. The experience in the graveyard had shook him, and Obi-Wan desperately needed a moment to rebuild his center. Normally he had no trouble keeping a clear mind, but something about the house felt like it was slowly digging at him. Thinking back, he had felt on edge since yesterday.  _ Shit, I’ve only been here since yesterday? It seems to have been much longer,  _ thought Obi-Wan. That realization jolted him out of his tentative peace and he lost the calm he’d been slowly rebuilding in his center.  _ Well, if I can’t do it manually then an artificial relaxation will have to do,  _ he thought as he pulled out his shadowpaw vape pen. Normally he didn’t need any outside help, but on the rare occasion that he did, shadowpaw helped him find his center and build some desperately needed calm. 

As he took a drag of the shadowpaw he studied the house, it looked even more ominous than it had yesterday. Usually familiarity built safety, and the house should have looked less threatening -- but Concordia House only seemed to loom larger and darker with familiarity. The house almost looked malicious. Obi-Wan tried to remind himself that the house was just a house, it couldn’t actually be responding to his presence with anger; but he had a hard time believing himself as the shadows of the house reached further and further into the driveway, blocking the meager sunlight he had found. 

Jango reappeared at the front door before Obi-Wan could read too much into the encroaching shadows. He had left his mushrooms inside, and changed into his beskar. Obi-Wan realized he hadn’t worn it around the house at all, and wondered why. “Just let me pull the speeder around and we can go.” The bright silver on his armor seemed to chase away the shadows as he walked to the small garage and backed out the speeder. The beskar almost seemed to be glowing faintly, but Obi-Wan dismissed that as a side effect of the shadowpaw --  _ perhaps the unease caused me to use more than I thought.  _ He quickly put his vape away and shook his head a bit before getting in the passenger seat. 

“Are you all bucked in?” Asked Jango in Mando’a as he started the speeder. 

“Yes,” said Obi-Wan in Mando’a. “I really appreciate you taking the time to drive me all the way to town.” 

“No problem, I’m sure you’re used to having much more freedom to come and go” answered Jango. 

“Ah yes, back home we live close to the city center so I’m often able to walk to most of my appointments and engagements.” 

“That must be nice,” said Jango, with just a hint of longing in his voice. “But, at least I am able to drive the speeder when needed.” 

Obi-Wan turned slightly to study him, “I noticed you put your beskar back on. Why don’t you wear it at the house?” 

Jango’s eyebrows drew together, “Grandfather does not approve of armor in the house.” 

“Odd, I’d think that seeing as he used to run a beskar mine he would appreciate the cultural practices behind the metal,” said Obi-Wan. “Especially since it is those cultural traditions that have built much of the demand.” 

“He always says that the metal’s worth is based on its sell price, and anything that raises that price is good but worthless to us,” Jango sounded outraged. “Especially since grandfather does not approve of mandalorian culture; he wants us to live as though we are still in the core and only follow their cultural traditions.” 

“Oh. Then how did you earn your beskar armor? I thought it had to be earned through some type of cultural ceremony?” Asked Obi-Wan. 

“You are correct, mandalorians have to earn their right to wear armor through the verd’goten. It is a ceremony that tests our skills and strength to determine if we are ready for adulthood and the honor of wearing beskar. To attempt the verd’goten, a person must have a mandalorian sponsor. My grandfather never had any interest in building cultural ties and never would have gotten a sponsor. None of the rest of Clan Vizsla has any interest in it either” explained Jango. 

“So, then if you don’t mind me asking,” said Obi-Wan tentatively, he didn’t want Jango to be offended, “How did you find a sponsor for your verd’goten?” 

Jango huffed a small, sad sigh and said “My father trained and sponsored me. It was against the wishes of my mother, but he insisted -- and he never insisted on much. I loved training with him though, he was such a kind and patient man.” 

“Do you and Pre not have the same father then?” Asked Obi-Wan. 

“No.” Jango snorted, amused. “Pre and I are half-brothers. My father, Jaster, was Ventress’s second husband. He was the first true mandalorian to marry into the clan. He marched away not long after I completed my verd’goten.” 

Obi-Wan thought back on his few interactions with Ventress -- Jaster sounded like her opposite. “My condolences, you must have been close with him.” 

“I remember him, so he is eternal.” Said Jango in the traditional mandalorian remembrance over their dead. “I also carry him with me everyday. The beskar I wear was his, and mandalorians believe the beskar remembers those who wear it and it holds a bit of their soul.” 

“That is a lovely belief, my mother never wore beskar of course, but I feel like I carry her love with me everyday. It's especially clear when I am around Anakin. Bringing him into the world was her last action, and I sometimes feel like all her love was passed into him. He was always such a bright and loving child” Obi-Wan reminisced. Then he gave Jango a tentative smile, “I remember her, so she is eternal.” 

Jango smiled back brightly at Obi-Wan’s use of the traditional phrase. “Did your father also keep his armor painted blue and silver?” Asked Obi-Wan, hoping Jango would talk more about him. He had been so relaxed when he mentioned Jaster earlier, and Obi-Wan could feel his good mood spreading and helping restore his calm. 

“No, when he wore this beskar it was painted gray and red. Are you familiar with the meanings behind the colors?” 

Obi-Wan thought back on his reading, but couldn’t remember anything relevant. He shook his head, “unfortunately no.” 

“Well, each color has a traditional meaning and those meanings can change depending on the paints location, other colors used, and exact shade; but in my father's case the red was for honor and the gray was for fortitude. When I repainted his armor I chose blue for reliability and silver for integrity.” Jango looked thoughtful, “a person’s choice of color is extremely personal, but also very public in our culture. Often people chose to paint their armor to reflect on qualities they value, or qualities they aspire to embody.” 

“Reliability and integrity? Well in the short time I’ve known you, both seem to apply” mused Obi-Wan. 

Jango’s face spasmed and suddenly the light mood in the car became tense. He swallowed audibly and said very quietly “you barely know me.” 

“I am pretty good at reading people. And you Jango are the nicest person at Concordia House” said Obi-Wan teasingly, trying to recover the ease from before. 

“Huh, well there isn’t much competition” deflected Jango. “We’re almost to town, where did you want me to drop you off?”

“The town square should be fine. I assume the Post Office is close?” asked Obi-Wan. 

“Yes, it is. How long do you think your errands will take?” 

“A few hours maybe? I also wanted to visit the local doctor. I assume there is another doctor besides the one who comes to the house?” 

“There is, his office is also within walking distance of the town square,” said Jango. “How about I meet you back at the square in a few hours and we can get some lunch before heading back to Concordia House?” At the mention of lunch he looked nervous. 

“That sounds nice,” Obi-Wan was not-so-secretly happy to avoid returning to the house for as long as possible. And lunch with Jango could be very nice. He smiled at Jango as they pulled into town. It was only a few more minutes and they arrived at the town square. “Thanks again for driving, I’ll see you soon” said Obi-Wan as he exited the car. 

Jango nodded, “be safe.” Then with a smile and small salute he headed off to run his own errands. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to the JangObi server for finding shadowpaw for me! and for helping me with vaping verbiage. 
> 
> I've also used the mandalorian color scheme as laid out in the Desert Storm series by Blue_Sunshine.


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Obi-Wan meets with Dr. Quin

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There is brief description of an epidemic, if that is triggering for you please skip from ** to ** and look at the end notes for a brief description.

The town square was as run down looking as the rest of the city Obi-Wan had seen so far. But, it didn’t look like neglect had settled in, instead it looked as though the city had tried its best to keep it looking nice, but they had run out of supplies. Brickwork was worn, but never outright left unreplaced, all the holes filled with replacement concrete that while it didn’t match, kept the overall integrity intact. There also wasn’t any litter around the square. All the streets were clean of debris and weeds. Clearly, the citizens were taking care of the town as best they could. 

The post office was a small building, made of red brick with a shiny blue roof. It looked moderately more cared for than the rest of the town, probably because it received outside income from the republic. Inside it was quaint; old fashioned boxes lined the walls and there was a beskar bell on the small counter. Obi-Wan rang the bell, and a bright young lady with blue hair approached the counter. “Oh welcome, you must be new in town!” She gave him a big smile and leaned on the counter. “My name is Aayla Secura, what brings you to mandalore? We don’t get many visitors.” 

“Hello there, I am Obi-Wan Kenobi. I came to visit my brother who moved here after his marriage. He hasn’t been feeling too well and I wanted to check up on him.” 

“Ooo who is your brother? I know all of town, and I don’t remember too many new spouses arriving.”

“His name is Anakin Skywalker. He married Satine Kyrze of clan Vizsla.” 

At Satine’s name, Aayla leaned back a bit and visibly dimmed. “Oh, well I hope he feels better soon and you don’t have to stay too long.” 

“Actually, can you direct me to the local doctor?” Asked Obi-Wan, “I was hoping I could get a second opinion.” 

“You’ll want to speak to Dr. Quin. His office is just down that way; he is the local doctor and very good at his job.” She grabbed a piece of paper and drew him a rough map of the town square with a mark for the post office and for Dr. Quin’s office. “Did you need to mail anything?”

“I almost forgot, but yes I needed to send this to my father back in Coruscant.” Obi-Wan handed over his letter and paid for the postage. “Can you hold any reply you get here? I’d rather not have it sent to Concordia House.”

Aayla nodded, “Of course, I’ll hold it behind the desk for you.” She grimaced, “Concordia House doesn’t get much mail anyways.” 

“Thank you so much, it was lovely to meet you Aayla.” Obi-Wan said as he reached for her hand -- when she gave it to him, he performed a short bow over it. 

Aayla giggled, “in mandalore we shake hands like this.” As she moved her hand to grasp his forearm, and gave it a brief squeeze and shake. 

Obi-Wan laughed, “well thank you, I’d hate to stand out too much as an outsider.” 

“You’re welcome, see you later.” Said Aayla, then she added in a rush “and, please be safe in Concordia House.” Before she turned to return to the back of the post office. He frowned a bit at the odd goodbye, but continued on his way. 

Dr. Quin’s office was easy to find, especially since there was a big sign in the window that said **Dr. Quin, Medicine Man**. The rest of the building was shabby, but the sign looked practically brand new. He opened the front door, and heard a small bell ring as he walked inside. There was a small waiting room, with just a few seats, but it was otherwise empty. Since the bell had rang, he decided to take a seat and wait. After just a moment a tall man walked out from a side door. “Hello can I help you?” He had dark skin, and had a yellow tattoo across his nose and cheeks. He also had long black dreadlocks that were pulled back into a ponytail. 

“Yes, are you Dr. Quin?” Obi-Wan asked to clarify, since he looked almost too young to have his own practice. 

“I am, come on back to the exam room and we can talk.” Said Dr. Quin with a smile. He had the kind of face that looked serious, but on closer inspection had lots of hidden smile and laugh lines. 

The exam room was small, but well taken care of. “What was your name?”

“I’m Obi-Wan Kenobi.” 

“You must be new in town, I don’t recognize you.”

“Yes, I am visiting my brother at Concordia House,” explained Obi-Wan. 

“Oh, are you related to clan Vizsla?” asked Dr. Quin. He looked concerned, but about the connection or something else Obi-Wan couldn’t tell. 

“Through marriage, my brother -- Anakin Skywalker -- married Satine Kyrze.” 

Dr. Quin relaxed a bit at that, “so, then how can I help you today Obi-Wan?” 

“I am here to visit my brother, he has been ill lately and I was hoping you could come give a second opinion.” Obi-Wan explained, “he has been low energy lately and we received an alarming letter from him that seems to show he is having a mental health crisis.”

Dr. Quin frowned at that, “to be frank, I’m not sure I’d be welcomed at Concordia House. The Vizsla’s have always been very particular about using their family doctor. I assume he has been by to visit Anakin?” 

“Yes,” said Obi-Wan. “I haven’t had the chance to speak with him yet, but from what I understand he has diagnosed Anakin with tuberculosis and exhaustion. I am not a medical professional, but I know tuberculosis doesn’t cause mental health concerns.”

“No, you are right.” Dr. Quin seemed to be thinking. “I unfortunately don’t have much psychiatry experience, so I worry that even if I was allowed in Concordia House, that I wouldn’t be much help. Have you thought of bringing a psychiatrist from Coruscant to give a second opinion?”

“I did not realize there would be so few doctors in Mandalore, and unfortunately the train ride from Coruscant takes almost a week. I don’t want to wait that long. If I need to take Anakin back to Coruscant for treatment I will, but I don’t want to delay. Why do you think you wouldn’t be allowed into Concordia House?” 

“Well Clan Vizsla has always had their own physician. They generally stay aloof from the regular people in Mandalore. The previous doctor was very clear when I took over his practice that I should only be concerned with the townsfolk and that Concordia House would take care of its own.” He paused for a moment, as if looking for the right way to explain the complicated relationship Concordia House had with the locals. “You’re staying up at Concordia House right?” At Obi-Wan’s nod he continued, “have you seen the big cemetery they have in the back?” 

“Yes, of course.” Said Obi-Wan, “it’s a little hard to miss.” 

**

“Well, it’s the Core Cemetery and most of the people buried there are former mine workers. Not long after the mine first opened, there was an epidemic that infected all the employees. All of them fell ill, and most of them died. But the Vizsla family doctor at the time tended to all the sick and refused attempts by the local doctor to help. He kept insisting he had it under control. I don’t think they respect the locals’ expertise much.”

“What kind of epidemic was it?” 

Dr. Quin shuffled a few of the objects on the exam table, then said “it was never fully diagnosed. The main symptom was a high fever and confusion; those who fell ill would hallucinate, then rant and rave about the strangest things. Sometimes they would even attack each other -- almost everyone who fell ill died. People would work at the mine, get sick and die. Then there would be a few years of peace before the illness returned.”

“There are lots of graves in that cemetery.” Said Obi-Wan soberly. 

“That’s only the core cemetery. After a while the Vizslas were unable to convince more people to move out here to work on the mine and they started hiring mandalorians. The mandalorian cemetery also has many graves that belong to mine workers. The rumor is that during the last epidemic -- before the mine closed -- there were so many dead that the Vizslas didn’t bother sending them for burial in town. Instead they were all just thrown into one big pit by the mine.” 

“That can’t possibly be true.” Obi-Wan thought about all the families who would want their loved ones’ body returned. 

“Who can say.” Answered Dr. Quin in a manner that made it very clear that he believed it. 

**

Obi-Wan felt a little sick, “you must have grown up in Mandalore to know so much.” 

“Close enough,” said Dr. Quin. “My family used to sell supplies to the miners at the Vizsla mine, but we moved when it closed. After I attended medical school in the core I returned. I always wanted to help the people here.” 

“You should start by helping my brother then.” Obi-Wan was not above a little emotional manipulation when it came to Anakin. “Will you please come to the house to help him?” 

Dr. Quin looked away, “I told you, I could get in trouble with the Vizslas if I go up there.”

Obi-Wan was starting to get an idea of what type of trouble he could get into. “This office relies on outside funding doesn’t it?”

“Yes, the town is too poor to support me on their own.” 

“And the Vizslas are a primary donor?” Obi-Wan wanted to be clear that he understood the situation. 

“Exactly” Dr. Quin looked regretful, “and the people need me. I can’t possibly jeopardize that.” 

Obi-Wan sighed. Well now what? He needed a second opinion. “What if I can get Satine’s permission for you to visit?” 

Dr. Quin slowly nodded, “If you did get permission, then I could probably try to stop by.” 

“I can do that.” Obi-Wan said relieved. “I’ll come back once I have permission and we can schedule a time for your visit.” Dr. Quin looked skeptical that Obi-Wan would be able to get permission, but he was willing to humor him. “By the way, do you know a Bant?” 

Dr. Quin snorted, “what are you doing? Visiting every specialist in town?”

“What do you mean?”

“Bant is the local mandalorian healer. She is one of the last remaining who practice their traditional medicine,” said Dr. Quin. 

“Do you think you could tell me where she lives?” 

“Why?” Dr. Quin was clearly skeptical of her abilities. 

“Anakin asked for a remedy from her.” 

“How on earth did he hear about her? Well I guess she does decent business with the locals. He must have heard about her from one of them; and I guess she does make some popular remedies for tuberculosis.” 

“Do they work?” Asked Obi-Wan hopefully. 

“Eh, they certainly don’t hurt. She lives about a mile to the west of here, behind the MandoMart.” He started to draw a map, so Obi-Wan helpfully handed over the one he already had from Aayla for him to add to. 

“Thank you Doctor.” 

“It's the least I can do, and you can call me Quinlan if you like.” With their business concluded, Dr. Quin gave him a bit of a smirk and a wink. 

“Quinlan then, I’ll see you soon.” With that he gave a small smile and left the clinic. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Did I make Quinlan the doctor just so I could make a Dr. Quinn Medicine Woman joke? absolutely. 
> 
> Also, brief mention of the MandoMart from the JangObi server -- the longest plot bunny yet.
> 
> ** historically there are regular epidemics at the mine that result in many deaths. the cemetery behind the house is full of miners who came from the core and died in the epidemic. the local doctors are not asked to help, and rumors are the last epidemic ended with bodies in a mass grave.


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Obi-Wan talks with Bant to buy Anakin's medicine.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> woo! back on schedule!

Obi-Wan checked his watch and decided he had plenty of time to walk to Bant’s place. It was actually nice to be walking through town again. There weren’t many pedestrians out and about at the moment, but those he saw seemed friendly. He was struck by how diverse everyone was, it reminded him of home. Especially because besides Jango, everyone he had met at Concordia house was very tall and very white. Part of that could be because they were all family, but they all looked so alike. It seemed that they were pretending to be high society core, when in actuality, in his experience Coruscant was very diverse. 

Before too long, Obi-Wan was close to his destination, but the streets had grown more chaotic as he got further from the town square and he had to ask for directions despite the map. Most people were friendly, and seemed charmed by his use of mando’a. It took a few tries, but eventually he found himself outside a small house that had a small sign in the window that said “Bant’s Remedies”. The house was cute, better kept than many of its neighbors and painted a bright white. A middle aged woman was gardening in the yard, she seemed totally focused on her plants but as he drew close she looked up at him and said “Can I help you?” She wore thick glasses that made her eyes look huge on her small face. 

“Hello, are you Bant?” Asked Obi-Wan. 

“Yes, you have on a very lovely sweater.” Obi-Wan looked down in surprise, he had forgotten he was still wearing Jango’s sweater. It was a light cream color, with blue stripes around the cuffs and neck. The buttons up the front were small and bright silver, they even looked like beskar -- but who would use such a precious metal for something as simple as buttons?

“Ah thank you, I am borrowing it from a friend. Can I talk to you about purchasing one of your remedies?” 

“Hold this please.” Bant abruptly pushed a small pot with a flower into his hands and stood up, walking into the house with more plants in her hands. “It’s been a while since I’ve seen a sweater like that around here. Come on in.” He followed behind her. The house was decorated with lots of small statues and candles on shelves and balanced on window sills. The walls were covered in tapestries that depicted the history of mandalore. Obi-Wan wasn’t familiar with many of the stories, but they looked fascinating from what he could see; lots of battles against giant creatures and warriors with glowing swords. 

Bant sent her pot on the table and gestured for Obi-Wan to do the same. “What type of remedy do you need, young man?” 

“My brother, Anakin, was here for a remedy a few weeks ago. I need a resupply of it.” 

“Who?” 

“Anakin Skywalker, he is tall, blond, young, new to mandalore?”

“Oh, the boy from Concordia House.” Bant looked unimpressed. 

“Yes, exactly.” Obi-Wan was relieved, “can you make me more of whatever you were giving him?” 

“I can work on it, but it won’t be ready immediately.” 

“How did my brother find you anyway?” Obi-Wan asked, he was abruptly curious about how Anakin had made his way to this half hidden house, and decided to use a natural remedy. He wasn’t ever the kind to trust folk medicine growing up, in fact, Anakin had been afraid of the doctor and avoided them whenever possible. The idea of Anakin seeking out and actually taking a remedy made by a folk healer went against everything he knew of his brother. 

Bant just looked at him with her large, expressive eyes for a moment before she said, “he used to go to church occasionally in town. Someone there must have given him my name.” She waved her hand, clearly it was unimportant to her how her clients found her.

“When was the last time you saw him?” He asked. 

“The boy was here two weeks ago, picking up his second refill. He gave me a letter and said if I didn’t see him by Friday then I should mail it. It was addressed to someone in Coruscant.” Bant refocused on her plants, rubbing the leaves of one of them. “When I didn’t see him again I sent the letter off.”

That must have been the letter father received, and if she mailed it for him then she seemed trustworthy. “Why couldn’t he mail it himself?”

“He spoke of the evil eye, I think he needed the letter to be a secret from those in the house.” Bant was busy inspecting her plants. 

Well, that made sense Obi-Wan decided. The letter had been written in a rush. “What was the remedy for?” 

“He had bad dreams, the remedy was to help settle his sleep. But it won’t fix it forever.” Said Bant. 

Obi-Wan reflected on his disturbed sleep from the night before, it was easy to see how the house could lead to nightmares. But he was confused, “he was adamant that he needed a refill from you.”

“I already told him, tea can delay it, but he is still at risk for as long as he stays at Concordia House.” She suddenly focused on him, and having the full focus of her attention made Obi-Wan a little uncomfortable. “Are you staying there too?”

“Yes, I came to look after my brother.”

“How are you sleeping?” She asked. 

“Um, alright.” Obi-Wan said. 

Bant continued to look at him, “I can see the dark circles under your eyes. You need to take my remedy as well.”

“Sure. Can you explain what you mean about the tea not being enough?” Obi-Wan didn’t actually believe the tea would fix anything, but he wanted to know what she thought she was curing -- or not. 

“The house is cursed. The only thing that can cure him is moving out. The longer you stay the worse it’ll be for you as well.” Bant said matter of factly. 

“You can’t actually believe it's cursed.”

“But I can, what do you know of its history?”   
  


“I know about the epidemics.”

“Sure the epidemics are one part of the curse, lots of death around the house. But the other part is the story of Miss Arla. Lots of people know the rumors, but only a few of us know the truth of it.” 

“Can you tell me her story then?” Asked Obi-Wan. 

“If you pay me.” 

“I was already going to pay for the medicine.”

“And I have to eat. I promise it’ll be worth it.”

“Alright,” Obi-Wan pulled out some cash from his wallet and handed it to her.

“Before things went bad, Concordia House used to be full of Vizslas and their servants. Lots of bright parties and events happened, and the clan always seemed to have new members. They even had one of the locals marry into the family, he seemed happy enough; so his sister was betrothed to one of the Vizsla sons. Except, right after her wedding she went crazy. She killed her new husband, brother-in-law, mother-in-law, and several cousins. She might have gotten her real brother too, but he escaped and hid in the closet with his young kid -- or maybe she had mercy on him.” Bant shrugged. That must have been baby Jango, thought Obi-Wan. 

“Miss Arla even got old man Vizsla. He didn’t die, but I hear he never fully recovered from the wound. When she was done, she took the sword she had used and turned it on herself. Old man Vizsla’s kids were lucky they were out of the house with their kids that day, or Miss Arla would have gotten them as well. No one had guessed she would be so bloodthirsty. Of course she had earned her beskar, but she had such a gentle soul before going to Concordia House.” Bant took a breath, and regretfully shook her head then continued “after that Concordia House was never the same. Most of the servants left, and the family retreated into itself. Only a few years later the mining accident happened that stopped work and things dried up for Mandalore.” 

Obi-Wan frowned, “that does sound pretty tragic.” He hadn’t seen any blasters at the house, the only weapons had looked like antique swords made of beskar. But maybe they had made some decorating changes in light of this. He refocused on Bant, “there is more, isn't there?”

Bant smiled at him, “you are a bright one. Yes, not that long after the mine dried up, Miss Arla’s last remaining brother, Jaster, was found dead at the bottom of a ravine. He had always been a strong man, but living at Concordia House changed him. He stopped coming into town, only visiting every once and awhile. He told stories of ghosts and whispers up at the house. By the end, he was barely hanging on. Small, and brittle. Personally, I think he only held on for his son. Once that boy earned his beskar, Jaster was gone not long after.” 

Obi-Wan was still skeptical, “I’m not sure that counts as a curse though.” 

“Of course you think it's a coincidence, but everything that family touches  _ rots. _ ” Bant spat that last word with vehemence. And the word  _ rots _ really was very evocative, the house had felt damp and musty -- which Obi-Wan realized was probably the smell of rot. But, the idea of a curse?  _ Sure the Vizslas were mean, and odd. Not welcoming in the least, but to say they were cursed seems like a step too far,  _ thought Obi-Wan. 

“Well, can you make enough of that remedy for both Anakin and I?” 

“Sure,” she shook her finger at Obi-Wan for emphasis, “but I’d suggest you both get on the train and leave.”

“How long will it take to make?” Asked Obi-Wan. 

“It takes time to gather the ingredients, and some of them are quite rare -- so about a week?” Bant said. 

“Alright, what do I owe you?” Bant and Obi-Wan haggled over a price for a bit. Before they said their goodbyes and Obi-Wan thanked her and headed back towards the town square. As he was leaving, he saw a young man who looked startlingly like Jango headed into Bant’s yard. He could just hear Bant exclaim happily “Kix! You’re early.” Before he turned a corner and lost sight of them. 

Obi-Wan found it much easier to return to the town square, and once he arrived he found Jango waiting as promised. Jango led him to a small restaurant nearby, where they shared a very satisfying meal of tiingilar. Conversation was easy, and Obi-Wan put the disturbing conversations about the epidemic and Arla out of his mind, and instead focused on the peace he felt with Jango and the warmth of the stew filling him from the inside out. Jango once again led him to the speeder with his hand on Obi-Wan’s lower back, and his touch felt just as good as it had at the cemetery. On the drive back to Concordia House, Jango rested his hand lightly on Obi-Wan’s knee. But, as they drew up to it, Jango removed his hand and withdrew into himself. The contentment fled the speeder and Obi-Wan realized he was on edge again as they approached the house. 


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Obi-Wan meets Tor Vizsla

As they walked in the front door, Jango stood stiffly to the side of Obi-Wan. His carefree relaxation from earlier was completely gone. His face had also closed off, and he avoided looking directly at Obi-Wan. They were greeted by a scowling Ventress. “Son, you have returned. It is about time.” She turned her disappointed gaze onto Obi-Wan, “I do not appreciate you taking up so much of my son’s time. In the future do remember that he has better things to do than escort you all around town. Now hurry and get ready for dinner.” She then sighed heavily and looked Jango up and down, “Jango don’t forget to take that armor off. Your grandfather will be joining us for dinner tonight and you know he does not appreciate seeing it.” 

Jango bowed shallowly, “of course. I wouldn’t want to upset my grandfather. We will be ready shortly.” 

Obi-Wan copied the bow, “I do apologize madam Ventress. I will strive to better respect Jango’s time in the future.” He tried not to think about the long lunch and relaxed afternoon they had spent together, or about the fact that it had been entirely Jango’s idea. He obviously needed some time away from the house as well. “How long do we have before dinner?”

“Dinner will be served promptly in an hour, do not be late.” With that, she turned and stalked off with a swirl of her long dress. 

“I’m beginning to think she likes making dramatic exits.” Said Obi-Wan softly with a small smile. 

Jango looked at him out of the corner of his eye and gave a small huff of laughter as he led the way back to their rooms. “She has had a lifetime in this house to practice. I’m sorry my mother blamed you for the length of our errand.” 

“I do not mind, I will get to leave before too long -- so I don’t have to continue to live with her bad opinion of me. If I can take some blame for you, then it is worth it.” Obi-Wan matched Jango’s tone, speaking quietly and softly as they wound through the many hallways in the house. 

Jango stopped at that and looked incredulously at Obi-Wan, his eyes searched Obi-Wan’s face. He seemed to find what he was looking for after a long moment, then he whispered so low that Obi-Wan almost missed it “I don’t deserve it.” Before turning to continue onto their rooms. Obi-Wan didn’t push it and they walked the rest of the way in silence. 

As he entered his room, the length of the day hit Obi-Wan hard. He wished he had time for a nap or even a long meditation, he really needed some time to reflect on what he had learned in town. But he also needed to cleanup and get changed, well maybe if he hurried he could take a hit of shadowpaw and squeeze in a few minutes of meditation. 

He approached his tasks with a single minded determination that he usually reserved for for his language studies. Thankfully he didn’t run into any delays and was able to sit and gather his thoughts in meditation for almost fifteen minutes. 

The history of illness was concerning, especially since some of the named symptoms seemed to match Anakin’s symptoms. In fact, they matched better than tuberculosis for sure. But, Obi-Wan didn’t think he could do much more without meeting the family doctor who was supposedly treating him. Hopefully he could convince Satine without too much trouble. Then, the story of Arla was just so tragic. He could see how living up here could be isolating, and the house certainly was creepy, but attempting to kill your entire new family seemed excessive. She even went after her brother and young nephew. What could have motivated her? He’d like to talk to Jango about it, but it would probably bring up terrible memories for him. Obi-Wan didn’t reach any conclusions on what to do about that new knowledge before his short time was up. 

Like yesterday he met Jango in the hall and they headed down to dinner together. It was a comfort even if Jango held himself stiffly and only acknowledged Obi-Wan with a brief nod as they walked. 

In the dining room before he could move towards the seat he had sat in last time, Ventress gestured for him to take the seat right next to the head of the table. That put him across from Pre and next to Satine. A new redheaded lady sat beside Pre, and Jango sat next to Satine. Ventress took the seat at the foot of the table. After just a moment, the doors opened once again to admit Maul who was supporting an elderly man. The man was practically ancient, but looked remarkably like Pre — tall, but hunched over due to age, and he had the exact same dark calculating eyes as both Pre and Ventress. This must be the family patriarch, grandfather Tor, who brought them to Mandalore and still led the family. Tor moved stiffly, he was clearly favoring one of his legs and Maul was supporting a majority of his weight. But Tor still managed to look imposing as he was guided into his seat at the head of the table. 

As he sat the entire family inclined their heads and said in union, “good evening Tor.” 

He nodded back, “good evening everyone. Bo Katan, it is good to see you back up and moving again.”

The redhead looked down at her empty plate, “thank you grandfather. I am not quite back to full health, but it is nice to be able to join family dinners again.” 

Pre interjected “and little Korkie is also doing well. Doctor says he is growing on schedule for his age.” 

Tor looked very pleased at that, “perfect. The next generation is our future.” He looked extremely smug for just a moment and then shifted his attention to Obi-Wan, “Obi-Wan, welcome. How are you liking Concordia House?”

Before he could answer, Maul returned with dinner for everyone. Just like yesterday, it was a bland meat with potatoes and oily vegetables. _Well, at least I had a large lunch,_ he thought. “Thank you Mr. Vizsla, your home is nice. I can tell a lot of thought went into its design.” Maul walked around the table to pour everyone large glasses of the same dark wine as yesterday. 

“Ah please call me Tor, and yes,” Tor said, pleased. “My late wife dedicated herself to its design and decoration. She was a true master of her style and we are lucky to live with her legacy all around us.” 

Obi-Wan reflected on the dim dining room and musty velvet curtains along the walls, and had to repress an immediate disagreement. “It is definitely evocative of a specific age,” he agreed diplomatically. He cut his meat into small pieces and took a tiny bite. It was very hard to chew, so he swallowed it down with a big gulp of the wine. It at least tasted a bit better than yesterday; the strong sweet aftertaste seemed less imposing, and the minor burn of the alcohol covered the flavor of the meat. 

“I am sorry that your brother is ill, sometimes the transition to the mountains from the Core can be difficult.” Tor very obviously looked him up and down, “but you seem to be making the change just fine.” 

Obi-Wan could only equivocate in response, “well I have only been here a short time. Who knows how I would fare after a year like Anakin.” 

Tor just smirked a bit, “I can always tell those who would assimilate well -- and you would be very happy here.” 

At that Pre also looked at Obi-Wan, “I agree grandfather. He looks like he has hardy genes, and a stronger constitution than Anakin.” 

Obi-Wan wanted to squirm under their combined attention, but he forced himself to stay still. “Oh no, Anakin has always been the more adaptable of us.” He took another drink of the wine, he needed something to occupy his nervous hands. 

Tor and Pre shared an unreadable look, then Satine said “it is a pity I didn’t meet you first. When you arrived yesterday I started to wonder if I had chosen the wrong brother.” She looked to Tor for approval, and he nodded back at her. 

“Satine you made the choice you could. We don’t blame you for Anakin’s illness, and I’m sure he will recover before too long.” Tor said in a comforting tone. 

Ventress added from the other end of the table, “dear you know that adding members to the family isn’t always a smooth process. You’ve done your part well.” 

Obi-Wan risked a look at Jango when he turned to hear Ventress, Jango was looking determinedly down at his plate with a blank face, but his knuckles around the steak knife were white with strain. 

Satine nodded to her aunt, and the next bit of dinner passed in silence. Everyone else was methodically eating their dinner and drinking their wine. Tor especially seemed to relish the taste of the wine. Obi-Wan moved the food around his plate, and tried to make his lack of appetite less noticeable. To cover, he ended up drinking quite a lot of wine and was surprised when Maul came to refill his glass before much time had passed. At least Maul also refilled several other glasses around the table so he wasn’t the only one drinking. 

Tor eventually broke the silence, it seemed the rule on being quiet at mealtimes did not apply to him. “Obi-Wan, I heard you study linguistics?”

“Yes, I have always loved languages since I was young.” He answered. 

“How many do you speak?” asked Satine. 

“Ah, I am fluent in five and have some understanding of ten more. I have masters degrees in both twi’leki and bocce, and am working on a third in Shyriiwook.” This was a topic he was much more comfortable with at least. 

“Interesting, education is so important but I’ve never understood the appeal of speaking so many languages. Basic is more than enough for me.” Tor looked a bit disdainful, “everyone should learn it, so why would I need to speak any other languages?” 

Obi-Wan was a bit taken aback, “but knowing the languages of your business partners can be vital to building strong relationships. Knowing bocce has been invaluable to both me and my father in his business. We have been able to make deals that were unavailable to many in the Core specifically because we could meet the traders with their language. Plus, there is so much cultural history stored in language. It is hard to ever understand a culture if you can’t read or listen to their stories in their native language.” 

“Please,” Tor scoffed, “what value is there in those cultures? They are obviously inferior to the Core. For example, twi’leki culture merely produces entertainers and whores. I do not need to listen to their stories to watch them dance and understand their culture.” 

Obi-Wan was offended. “But that is simply not true! Twi’leki culture is very nuanced and they have produced many other notable achievements. For instance, their poetry is particularly descriptive and very moving.” Obi-Wan said passionately, at his next sentence he unknowingly raised his voice, “I would rather read a twi’leki poem than a poem in basic any day!” By the end of the sentence he was speaking quite loudly. 

Tor slammed his hand down on the table. “I can respect the strengths of your convictions, but you must calm down boy!” At this Jango ducked his head even more and looked like he was trying to disappear. “I do not appreciate being yelled at in my own home at my own dinner table.” He looked thunderous and furious. 

The anger abruptly fled from Obi-Wan, he hadn’t made such a faux pas at a social event in almost a decade. He was mortified. He knew better than to lecture people. Especially someone like Tor who obviously ruled his house with an iron fist. It was clear he had a strong temper, and from the look of Jango, he was not shy about reprimanding those who displeased him. “I apologize Tor, I got carried away. The wine must be stronger than I thought.” 

Tor seemed to settle a bit at the apology, “well, you’d do good to remember that some cultures are dominant for a reason.” The rest of dinner passed in almost complete silence, expect for some more talk about the baby Korkie and how he was growing. Bo Katan said little, but she and Pre seemed exceptionally proud of their young boy. 

  
  
  
  



	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Obi-Wan has an unsettling dream.

As the dinner ended, Obi-Wan lingered behind so he could walk back towards his room with Jango. Ventress had taken on the job of escorting Tor back to his room with the assistance of Bo Katan, while Pre and Satine had headed to the study for after dinner drinks. Jango and Obi-Wan walked together slowly. It had been such a long day and Tor’s comments on languages and his racism towards other cultures had been a bit of a shock. He knew Tor was old fashioned and didn’t like mandalorians despiting living here, but the vehemence was unexpected. Obi-Wan always wanted to believe the best of people, and Tor made that difficult. 

Eventually they made it to their rooms. Jango looked at Obi-Wan and then stepped up close to him, Jango leaned over, grabbed Obi-Wan’s hand lightly and whispered in mando’a against his ear “don’t take Tor’s comments to heart. I personally like that you speak mando’a.” The quiet brush of air against his ear sent shivers down Obi-Wan’s spine. Before he could respond, Jango set his forehead against Obi-Wan’s and just breathed for a moment. Obi-Wan shivered again as their breath mingled. Jango’s touch was gentle against his forehead and their fingers tangled together; he leaned into it. The whole gesture was very intimate and romantic. Exactly what Obi-Wan needed to relax after the day. Then almost as quickly as Jango had leaned in, he leaned out. Obi-Wan had to smother a disappointed whine at the loss of contact. Jango squeezed his fingers briefly then let them go and disappeared into his bedroom. 

Obi-Wan returned to his dark and damp room, and missed the brief warmth he had felt radiating off of Jango. But he sighed and decided to take a short bath before bed. That should warm him up plenty. 

The tub filled quickly, and he settled into the bath. It wasn’t as relaxing as he would have hoped, but the water was warm and it brought some life back into his fingers and toes. He hadn’t realized how stiff they had grown throughout dinner until he was warm again. He stayed in the tub until all the warmth had leached out of the water, then bundled himself in his pajamas and Jango’s sweater before crawling into bed. Despite wearing it all day, it still smelled like Jango -- earthy with a hint of beskar and musk. 

Sleep came quickly to Obi-Wan. The emotional exhaustion of the day quieted his mind and mixed with the warmth from the bath and the comforting smell of Jango around him, lulled him off to sleep in no time. 

However, despite sleep coming so easily, Obi-Wan found his dreams disturbed again. It started out as normal, he was at home in Coruscant sitting in his study. Anakin was tinkering on one of his many projects at the second desk, and he was looking at his bookshelf trying to decide what to read. He felt content and happy. He could hear Anakin humming under his breath as the tools clicked and clacked quietly. It sounded like home. But, before too long it was disturbed by the sound of whispers coming from the hallway. He tried to ignore the whispers, but they kept getting louder. He tried to ask Anakin if he heard anything, but Anakin was too busy with his machine parts and ignored him. 

After a few more minutes he went and opened the door into the hall. The whispers were definitely in mando’a, but indistinct. He followed the sound out into the house, trying to find the person speaking. But, no matter how he turned and walked, the hallways just kept growing. He knew that his house wasn’t this large, and yet he couldn’t make any progress or find the person speaking. He just kept walking and walking. Taking turns at random and never arriving anywhere. 

It was endless. 

Just as he began to despair of ever finding his way out of the hallways, they began to change. It started subtly, but all of a sudden he realized he wasn’t in his hallways at home anymore. He was walking in the long, dark hallways of Concordia House. The whispers were louder, but all he could hear was the musical rise and fall of syllables with the harsh stops and pauses between words. 

The hallways started to get darker, no matter which way he went he couldn’t find much light. Obi-Wan normally had a level head, but he was starting to panic. The velvet wall hangings felt like they were reaching out for him, he could feel soft brushes against the backs of his legs, but when he turned there was nothing behind him. The velvet just swayed slightly in a non-existent breeze. 

He walked faster. Maybe he could find someone in the house. 

It just got darker and darker. 

It was starting to get difficult to breathe. The dampness in the air made him feel like he couldn’t take a breath. No matter how much he gasped, the air felt wet and thin -- insubstantial. 

He started running. He had to get away. He had to find someone, anyone to help him. 

He ran. 

And ran. 

And ran. 

And ran. 

Eventually, just as he was almost out of light, and just as the velvet seemed to be reaching for his throat he saw his door! All he had to do was reach it. His door was just ahead in the hall. Obi-Wan took a gasping breath and pushed through the panic to finally stumble through it. He quickly closed the door behind him and at that moment he sat up gasping in bed. 

He was awake. But clammy. And shaken. As he lay there trying to catch his breath he saw something glowing. Unlike in the cemetery, it was a soft golden glow. It slowly got brighter, and Obi-Wan could see that it was clustered in the far corner of his room. As he watched, and tried to slow his breathing, it seemed to slowly pulse. He matched his breathing to the slow pulse and got his racing heart under control. As he felt more in control of himself the glow increased and he could see some details and shapes. 

Was that a flower? No, on further examination it was actually a small patch of mushrooms. They had smooth golden caps that were putting off the glow. It was comforting. He started to feel sleepy again, and as his eyes got heavy he saw the mushrooms start to spread. He was too relaxed to move as the mushrooms bloomed across the walls and on the floor. 

It looked so soft. And the golden glow felt warm. As he slid back into sleep he saw the mushrooms reach his bed and start spreading across the covers. They were almost at his face, but he couldn’t move. It was fine. 

They meant no harm. It felt welcoming as they engulfed him. 

Obi-Wan woke again in the morning to the delivery of his breakfast tray. It was the same as yesterday. Toast and jam with a boiled egg and weak tea. He absent mindedly munched on the toast and jam as he thought back on his dream. There weren’t any mushrooms in his room, and even the far corner where they had started was normal and unblemished. There was some mold along the walls, but no mushrooms with delicate golden caps. Hmm, he must have dreamed that as well. Odd. Probably nothing to worry about. 


	12. Chapter 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Obi-Wan meets with Anakin's doctor.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm going to edit a previous chapter that Satine was growing lilies instead of roses, because duh why didn't I think of that originally?

After his breakfast, Obi-Wan started his day much the same as the day before, trying to find Satine so he could get permission to visit Anakin. He headed straight to the conservatory this time, and easily found her once again tending to her lilies. He approached quietly, but she seemed to know he was coming and turned to meet him. She smiled softly, “Good morning Obi-Wan. I assume you’re hoping to visit Anakin today?”

“Good morning Satine. Yes, I was hoping I could spend some time with him today.” 

Satine started taking off her apron and gloves, “that should be fine. Our physician will be here in a few hours, but you can sit with him until he arrives.” 

Obi-Wan smiled;  _ perfect, I’ll finally have a chance to speak with the doctor and press for more details.  _ “That is good news, I’d also love the chance to speak to the doctor once he is finished.” 

Satine answered a bit reluctantly, “well…. I guess that won’t be a problem. I can join you to ensure we are protecting Anakin’s privacy.” She then held out her arm to Obi-Wan for an escort. He was a bit leery of taking her arm -- especially after her comments at dinner about “choosing the wrong brother” -- but he also needed to keep her happy if he wanted to get permission for Dr. Quin to visit. So after the briefest pause, he took her arm.  _ Hopefully she didn’t notice the hesitation.  _ Satine kept up a steady stream of light chit-chat as they walked, mostly about her garden and the importance of all her plants. Obi-Wan made noises of agreement at the appropriate pauses, but otherwise mostly tuned her out. He had long ago mastered the art of not listening while looking attentive, his father was very fond of long rambling lectures about “trusting your gut” and “focusing on the here and now”. 

As they arrived at Anakin’s door, Satine seemed reluctant to let go of his arm. But she gave it one squeeze and then entered his room. Just like yesterday Anakin was sitting by the window and was listlessly staring at the cemetery. Unlike yesterday, Obi-Wan could just see the back of Jango’s beskar as he disappeared into the fog around the cemetery. 

Satine went and gave Anakin a chaste kiss on the cheek and lightly said, “Anakin, Obi-Wan is here to spend the morning with you. I’ll be back in a few hours with the doctor, and to administer your medicine.” Then with a nod of her head, she smiled at Obi-Wan and left the room. 

He moved to take Anakin’s hand, and give him a brief hug. As he embraced his brother, Obi-Wan whispered in bocce “I saw Bant, and ordered more remedy. I’ll have it in a week.” Anakin nodded his head against his cheek. Obi-Wan sat down, “how are you feeling this morning?”

“I’m fine, tired, but I am glad to see you again.” Anakin smiled weekly at his brother. “After I see the doctor I’ll have a bit more energy tomorrow.” 

Obi-Wan didn’t want to press, but he couldn’t help asking “do you like the doctor? Is he treating you well?” 

“Oh yeah, he is a bit aloof, but he seems to know a lot about health and doctor stuff. I always feel better the day after his visits.” 

“That is good to hear. I’m hoping to talk to him, and possibly bring in another doctor for a second opinion. If you’re ill, I’d feel much better if you came back to Coruscant for treatment.” 

Anakin’s eyes opened wider, he looked almost panicky “oh no that won’t be necessary. I can be treated here just fine.” 

Obi-Wan was skeptical about his reasoning, but he didn’t want to upset Anakin so he let it drop. “Of course. I brought a deck of sabacc cards, do you feel up to playing with me?”

Anakin gave a brief laugh, “what are we going to bet?”

Obi-Wan had a twinkle in his eye as he suggested they bet cups of tea. Anakin hated tea, so if he won Obi-Wan would drink caff with him for their next tea time, and if Obi-Wan won Anakin would have to drink tea. 

They both relaxed and played for most of the morning, it was a close game but when Satine returned Obi-Wan was collecting his winnings as Anakin was complaining with good humor “I know you cheat, but I can’t believe you would cheat a sick man! I’m your favorite brother! And yet you have no mercy!”

Obi-Wan laughed, “Anakin you’re my only brother!” 

“Even more proof that I’m your favorite!” He grinned cheekily, and Obi-Wan was pleased to see his dimples making an appearance. 

Satine cleared her throat, they hadn’t realized she had entered. Anakin quickly dropped his smile and looked sheepish. “Obi-Wan, if you wouldn’t mind waiting in the parlor, the doctor has arrived and wants to examine Anakin in private. We’ll meet you there after the appointment.” 

Obi-Wan reached out and gave Anakin’s hand a brief squeeze, “Of course. I’ll see you soon Anakin.” As he left the room, he passed an impossibly tall, stately man in the hallway. He had a full head of white hair and a neatly trimmed matching beard. He wore all black, and even had a short cape, he walked with a silver cane. The man looked down his nose at Obi-Wan as he swept into Anakin’s room, with his cape swirling behind him. For just a moment the cape looked so much like the velvet wall hangings from his dream. But after a blink, it was gone. 

Waiting in the parlor was boring. Obi-Wan should have more patience than this, but meeting the doctor and convincing them to allow for a second opinion was crucial to his plan. This upcoming conversation was important. After just a few minutes of waiting, he couldn’t stand it any longer and got up to pace along the bookshelves. Maybe he’d find something interesting to read. All of the books were in basic, which wasn’t a surprise. As he scanned the titles, dread started to pool in his stomach. They all looked to be on the superiority of the Core, and importance of clean bloodlines. Tor had made his beliefs quite clear last night, but seeing a library full of books on the same subject was upsetting. None of them would be worth reading. He resigned himself to pacing and trying to ignore the clear proof of Tor’s racism. 

At least he didn’t have to wait too long, eventually the doctor entered, with Satine on his arm. He still had the cane, but seemed to be more for looks than necessity. “Thank you for waiting for us Obi-Wan Kenobi. I would like to introduce Dr. Yan Dooku, he has been our family physician for many decades, and has extensive experience in caring for our illnesses. He even delivered Korkie a few weeks ago.” 

“It is a pleasure to meet you Dr. Dooku.” Obi-Wan bowed slightly. “Thank you for taking such good care of my brother.” Dooku nodded as he sat in one of the chairs across from Obi-Wan. “I had a few questions about his illness and treatment, I was told he has tuberculosis?”

“Mr. Kenobi, you have nothing to worry about. Your brother does indeed have tuberculosis, but it is treatable these days. I have started him on a course of streptomycin, but the most important thing he can do to heal is to rest. His body is going through a lot to fight off the disease, and needs a lot of rest to replenish itself.” Said Dr. Dooku, in a bored tone. 

“Make sure he stays warm, use a compress on his forehead if he has a headache, ensure he eats plenty and he’ll be back to normal in no time.” He pulled up the handle of his silver cane and started to polish it with his pocket square. “You just need to give him time. Now if that is all I’ll be off.”

“No.” Obi-Wan interrupted in a harsh tone, “I have a few more questions. When we were younger my aunt Tahl had tuberculosis and her illness was completely different from Anakin’s. He is acting very odd, and I’ve spent several hours with him and never heard him cough.”

Dooku looked displeased, “every patient is different, young man.”

“He sent a very concerning and uncharacteristic letter to my father. I am worried that his mental health has declined and he isn’t being properly treated.” Obi-Wan explained. 

“Tuberculosis does not cause mental health concerns, but it can exacerbate existing conditions.” Said Dooku. 

“But Anakin has never been listless and odd like he is now!” responded Obi-Wan.

Satine broke in, unexpectedly, “do you disagree that Anakin has a history of being unbalanced? After his last broken engagement he went into a depressive period. And as a kid he had manic episodes.”

“Well sure,” Obi-Wan conceded, “ all kids have some manic periods, and Anakin has always felt things so strongly. But that was when he was a child. He has grown, and matured since then. He has a better grasp on his emotional state now.” 

“Tuberculosis is not a death sentence, but it can cause the patient to confront their mortality in uncomfortable ways.” Explained Dooku, like he was talking to a child. “He is likely just confused from that, and combined with his own history of depressive and manic episodes, he is reacting in a new way.” 

Obi-Wan was furious that they were talking about his brother like this. Anakin was in trouble and obviously needed more help than he was getting. “Do you have training as a psychologist?”

“No.” Dooku said flatley, “but I am very familiar with tuberculosis and that is what he has.” 

“Then with all due respect, I would like to bring in another doctor for a second opinion.” Obi-Wan looked at Satine, “Please, Anakin is very dear to me and I want to ensure we have taken every possible step to help him recover.”

Satine sighed, “I don’t know, Dr. Dooku is very good at his job. Who do you plan to ask for the second opinion?” 

“I have spoken to Dr. Quin in town about coming.”

Dooku scoffed, “He is but a boy. Barely out of medical school, and he does not have any experience as a psychologist either.” 

Obi-Wan broke in, “no, but he could confirm your tuberculosis diagnosis.” 

With an eye roll, Dooku looked at Satine and gave a slight nod of his head. She spoke, “very well then. As long as he doesn’t upset my husband, we will allow him to come and give a second opinion.” She did not look happy about having to agree, but at that moment Obi-Wan could not care at all. 

Dooku stood up, and glowered down at Obi-Wan. “Well, if you are done insulting my professional integrity, then I shall head out. Satine, please accompany me to my speeder. I wish to speak a bit more with you about Bo Katan.” She stood up and graciously allowed herself to be drawn away, speaking to Dooku in a low murmur. 

After they were gone, Obi-Wan slumped against his chair in relief. He couldn’t stop himself from bringing his hand up to cover his eyes for a moment. It was a small step, but going up against the Vizsla family was exhausting. He had won. At least he had won. Now, he just needed to talk to Jango to see when they could return to town to let Dr. Quin know he was welcome at Concordia House -- or if not welcome, then at least tolerated. As he dropped his hands again, they shook the tiniest bit before he could control them. He needed another hit of shadowpaw to restore his center. 

With that thought, he headed to his room. Some meditation and shadowpaw would be a good idea. Especially before he went looking for Jango in the cemetery again. He obviously needed to be centered and sure of himself before entering there again. In his room, he took a few pulls. Unfortunately the window didn’t open, so he had to blow the vapor into the room. Well, at least it was pretty unobtrusive. Then he settled down on his chair to try and reflect on Anakin, the doctor and Satine. 


	13. Chapter 13

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jango turned his head at the sound of his approach. Then, after seeing it was Obi-Wan, he looked back down to finish his task. Obi-Wan could just make out the sight of Jango carefully picking some mushrooms that were growing along one of the headstones. It was odd, the mushrooms looked familiar to Obi-Wan, despite his lack of familiarity with fungus. They were small, with smooth caps. Their color was hard to discern in the shadows, but they almost looked golden. As he watched, Jango had a small knife out and was gently slicing the bottoms of the mushrooms to harvest them. He then gently rubbed off any lingering dirt with a cloth and placed them gently in his basket.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> etyc sarad - mushroom (lit. dirty flower)  
> ve'vut - gold

After a few hours Obi-Wan returned to himself. He realized lunch had been delivered at some point, and frowned that he missed the tray being put in his room. Normally he would have noticed an interruption like that. He must have really needed that meditation session. By now the thin soup was cold, and the sandwich bread had turned soggy from the mayonnaise. Well, he wasn’t that hungry anyway. Before leaving his room, he put Jango’s sweater back on and grabbed a sachet of tea and his thermos. 

Heading straight to the kitchen, he found it deserted so he quickly warmed up water for tea. Letting it steep, he breathed in the intoxicating scent. It had been too long since he had a good cup of tea. The first sip was slow, as Obi-Wan savored the tea. The flavor burst across his tongue, the subtle citrus flavor opened his sinuses and the heat of the tea spread throughout his stomach. He closed his eyes and relaxed for just a moment before steeling himself and heading back out to find Jango in the cemetery. 

The fog seems thinner today. Obi-Wan couldn’t feel the same looming dread as before. The cemetery still creeped him out, the dark stone walls and headstones that stood up at odd angles breaking the fog. There was also a statue in front of the mausoleum that he hadn’t noticed the day before. Before he could study it too much, he caught sight of Jango. He was crouched down in the back corner of the graveyard, with his basket from the day before next to him. Obi-Wan slowly picked his way over there, trying to avoid walking over any of the graves. It was probably nothing, but -- just in case he wanted to avoid the appearance of disrespect. 

Jango turned his head at the sound of his approach. Then, after seeing it was Obi-Wan, he looked back down to finish his task. Obi-Wan could just make out the sight of Jango carefully picking some mushrooms that were growing along one of the headstones. It was odd, the mushrooms looked familiar to Obi-Wan, despite his lack of familiarity with fungus. They were small, with smooth caps. Their color was hard to discern in the shadows, but they almost looked golden. As he watched, Jango had a small knife out and was gently slicing the bottoms of the mushrooms to harvest them. He then gently rubbed off any lingering dirt with a cloth and placed them gently in his basket. The basket was about half full, with a wide variety of mushrooms. Some with big red caps, some with small cream ruffles, and even some with dark black spots. 

It was easy to wait patiently for Jango to finish. His smooth, practiced moves were almost meditative. After a few minutes, all the mushrooms had been collected, and Jango brushed his hands off and stood up. “What brings you to the cemetery today?” Jango asked. 

“I was looking for you again. What kind of mushrooms are those? I’ve never seen anything like them.” 

“Oh they’re a local variety.” Jango hummed a bit, “I don’t think they have an official name. I generally call them ve'vut etyc sarad.” 

“That’s descriptive. Do you collect mushrooms everyday?” Asked Obi-Wan. 

Jango collected his basket and slowly, gently took Obi-Wan’s hand. “Not everyday, but studying the local mushrooms is one of my main hobbies.” 

Obi-Wan was thrilled at the contact, and gave Jango’s hand a soft squeeze. “Mycology has never been an interest for me, but being here I can see how it would be fascinating.” They started to slowly walk towards the mausoleum. “I was hoping you could take me back to town tomorrow, Satine gave permission to bring Dr. Quin up for a second opinion and I need to schedule it with him.” 

Jango looked down, “I’m sorry I can’t take you tomorrow.”

“The day after then?” 

“No, sorry. Maybe in three days?” Jango wouldn’t meet his eyes. 

Obi-Wan was frustrated. “I don’t think that’s good enough! We need to get Anakin help as soon as possible.” 

Jango sighed, and pulled his hands away to gesture in frustration. “I’m sorry. If you’re that worried you should probably just take Anakin and leave.” 

“Satine has him under lock and key!” Obi-Wan pinched his nose, he could feel a headache starting. “She won’t let me take him away, but maybe after the second opinion I can convince her to send him to core for care.”

“Maybe you should just leave then.” Jango sounded resigned. 

“I can’t leave without my brother! Or at least without knowing he is getting the help he needs!” 

“What if you can’t help him?” Jango asked in a quiet voice. 

“What do you mean by that?” 

“It’s like grandfather said, sometimes people have a hard time adjusting to Concordia House. You shouldn’t linger here, it's no place for you.” 

“Are you trying to chase me away? Is the rest of the family putting you up to this?” Obi-Wan asked angrily. He stopped walking to turn and glare at Jango. 

“No, I just think it would be better if you left.”

Obi-Wan tried to catch his eyes “Do you dislike me that much?” He hated how vulnerable he sounded, but couldn’t help himself. 

Jango was quiet for a moment, but looked directly into his eyes and reached for his hand again. “You know that isn’t true. I like you very much.” His voice was so earnest Obi-Wan wanted to believe him. Jango looked to the sky as if asking for help, and said “I will help you as much as I can.” 

“What I need is to go into town as soon as possible!” Obi-Wan couldn’t quite keep the exasperation out of his voice.

“Look, my mother was not pleased we were gone so long last time and getting her permission to leave again so soon will be difficult.” Explained Jango. 

Obi-Wan wanted to scream. Jango was a grown man, and hearing him immediately defer to his mother was frustrating. “Fine. In three days.” 

“I’m sorry it can’t be sooner. Beyond my mother, I’m so tired. Grandfather hasn’t been feeling well and he needs help at night. I’m the only unmarried grandchild, so I often get overnight duty.” 

Obi-Wan immediately felt guilty, he’d been so focused on Anakin that he had forgotten Jango had his own responsibilities to the family. “Oh of course, that makes sense.” He decided to change the subject, to try and move on from their fight. “What is wrong with Tor?” 

“He has ulcers that won’t heal. They cause excruciating pain, but of course never kill him. I’m sure he’ll outlive us all in the end.” Jango laughed with dark humor. “No, they just make the rest of us miserable. You haven’t heard him at night?”

“No, I haven’t heard anything.” 

Jango looked at him, assessing. “Well that’s good. He can be quite loud when he is in pain.” 

They had resumed walking, and arrived at the mausoleum. Obi-Wan stopped to study the statue. It was a lady, who stood in a long dress and had her hands held out as if she was protecting the mausoleum behind her. “Who is the lady in the statue?” 

Jango looked at it and answered, “that is my grandmother, Isabet Reau. She died not long after moving to Mandalore and giving birth to my mother. Grandfather was heartbroken after her death and commissioned the statue in her memory. She guards the mausoleum where all direct family members are buried.” 

Obi-Wan looked closer, she had an odd expression on her face. Instead of looking peaceful, the statue looked angry, and had a twist to her mouth that almost suggested pain. It was very unsettling. He shivered at the sight and turned to continue forward to leave the cemetery. 

Jango followed without complaint. Just before they exited the cemetery, he suddenly heaved a great sigh and squeezed Obi-Wan’s hand. “I’ll take you into town tomorrow morning. We’ll have to leave before anyone else is up, but if you can meet me before breakfast we’ll make a quick trip.” 

Obi-Wan couldn’t stop a large smile from breaking over his face. “Thank you!” He even dared to pull Jango into a quick hug to express his gratitude. Jango gave a strangled gasp at the contact but relaxed into it after a moment. They walked back to the house in silence and Jango left Obi-Wan to take his mushrooms into the kitchen. Obi-Wan headed back to his room quickly. 

Thankfully there wasn’t a family dinner that night, so he was served a small dinner in his room. He ate as much as he could, but the meal remained unappetizing. He then read quietly for the rest of the evening before putting on his pajamas -- and Janngo’s sweater -- and going to sleep. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> etyc sarad - mushroom (lit. dirty flower)  
> ve'vut - gold


	14. Chapter 14

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Slowly, so slowly the dust settled, covering the man, girl and crowd as they said in unison “death, overcome.” 

Obi-Wan had the weirdest dream that night. He found himself walking through Concordia House, but the walls and floors were covered in those strange golden mushrooms. It looked as though the forest had been brought into the house. He walked slowly, wondering at the beauty of the glowing mushrooms. They were growing so thickly he couldn’t help brushing against them as he walked. The path led him through the house, and he knew he needed to follow it, but there wasn’t any rush. So he walked slowly, basking in the soothing glow and admiring how much more welcoming the house felt like this. 

Eventually, he made his way out of the house, the mushrooms were more sparse outside but there was still a clear path to follow. He let the golden glow lead him all the way to where the cemetery and the mausoleum should be. They weren’t there. It didn’t matter though, because he knew that this was before the cemetery had been needed, before the mausoleum was built to hold dead family members. Instead, the hill was covered in the beginnings of a lily garden. It was beautiful to watch the lilies growing. It felt calm and peaceful. So unlike the cemetery Obi-Wan remembered. 

After a bit he notices that in the center of the garden, where the mausoleum would one day stand there was a woman laying naked in the dirt. She was screaming, loud terrible noises as she writhed on the ground. Her stomach was horribly distended and after a moment Obi-Wan realized she was pregnant and in labor. But she wasn’t alone. There was a little girl, wearing a white dress, sitting in a velvet chair watching the woman. Behind her a man was standing, with an amber ring on his finger. He rested his hand on the girls shoulder and watched the woman with detached boredom. After what seemed like hours or even days of struggle the woman gave one last terrible cry and birthed her child. 

The man swept forward to grab the baby before Obi-Wan could get a look at it and clutched it tightly to his chest. All of a sudden Obi-Wan realized there was a crowd of people gathered around the man and the baby, ignoring the woman in the dirt. They held tall candles that flickered and dripped burning hot wax into the dirt. They were deathly silent, but seemed to be waiting on a sign from the man. Obi-Wan should have felt disturbed, but the energy of the dream was so calm, so he just relaxed and continued to watch what was unfolding before him.

The man suddenly thrust the baby upwards, holding it high for all to see. With that, Obi-Wan realized the baby was cold and gray. It wasn’t even a child at all. It was a misshapen tumor. It pulsed slowly despite the lack of life. The man said loudly “death, overcome”. The onlookers responded “death, overcome.” 

The little girl slipped out her chair, and knelt by the woman. She was the only one who bothered to look at the woman. Her dress stained dark where she knelt on the dirt. After a moment, the girl wrapped part of her skirt up and around the woman’s face, veiling her -- smothering her. The woman was exhausted from giving birth, but she still struggled hard. The girl held on, using more strength than she should have had to keep the woman pinned. After a brief but vicious struggle, the woman jerked on last time before falling still. 

As she stilled, the tumor pulsed one final time and burst. It spread a glowing golden dust up and over all of those gathered. Slowly, so slowly the dust settled, covering the man, girl and crowd as they said in unison “death, overcome.” 

The man then turned, abruptly, to look directly at Obi-Wan. Previously he had felt like an unnoticed observer, but the man’s gaze seemed to strip him to the bone. He felt complicit in this ritual. All at once, he remembered fear. The calm of the dream broke, and he was terrified of the man and the people, repulsed by their casual disregard of the woman who had died to bring that tumor into the world. He felt horror that he watched it all without intervening. Obi-Wan looked away. His mouth was full of the coppery taste of blood and he felt shame.

Then he woke up. He was standing at the base of the main staircase of the house, barefoot and only in a thin pair of sleep pants. He shivered in the cold, as he heard a loud wailing break the stillness of the night. 


	15. Chapter 15

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There was still that loud wailing echoing through the house. It sounded unhuman. It was eerie, making the hairs on the back of his neck raise even more than the cold. Putting his puzzlement aside, Obi-Wan started to head back towards bed. He made it halfway up the stairs when he saw a light at the top of the stairs. It reminded him of the glow he had seen in the cemetery. That caused him to freeze, as he tried to decide what to do. Before the panic could raise too much, the light shifted and he heard Pre say “Obi-Wan? What are you doing?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> See end notes for an explanation of the updated "rape / non-consent" tag.

Obi-Wan shivered in the cold. The house was dark, only the barest amount of moonlight shining through the curtains. He had been wearing a shirt when he went to bed, where could he have lost it? It was unlike him to disrobe in the night. Sleep walking wasn’t completely unheard of; but he hadn’t walked in his sleep since childhood. Why on earth was he starting again now? 

There was still that loud wailing echoing through the house. It sounded unhuman. It was eerie, making the hairs on the back of his neck raise even more than the cold. Putting his puzzlement aside, Obi-Wan started to head back towards bed. He made it halfway up the stairs when he saw a light at the top of the stairs. It reminded him of the glow he had seen in the cemetery. That caused him to freeze, as he tried to decide what to do. Before the panic could raise too much, the light shifted and he heard Pre say “Obi-Wan? What are you doing?”

A flood of relief hit him, he might be off balance from the dream, the noise, and his lack of a shirt -- but he could handle Pre. Pre was standing at the top of the stairs holding a candle; he was wrapped in a long dressing gown and wearing slippers. “Oh, I seem to have made my way out here during a dream. I was just heading back to bed.” He answered, as he resumed climbing the stairs. 

Pre huffed lightly, but he waited for Obi-Wan to reach the top before saying anything else. “Well we should get you back to bed. Come on, I’ll escort you -- it's a dark walk back without a light.” 

Obi-Wan was relieved, he had been dreading the walk back. “Thank you, that is very kind. I can’t imagine why I was sleepwalking -- it's been decades since I last found myself out of bed.” 

Pre took Obi-Wan’s hand, and tucked it into his elbow to guide him, “sometimes stress can cause the strangest habits to return. I know you are very worried about Anakin.”

“Perhaps.” Obi-Wan knew it must be beyond the middle of the night, and he was curious why Pre was walking around. “Why are you out of bed?”

“I’m sure you can hear Grandfather, he is having a bad night and Jango needed my assistance for a bit. I was just heading back to bed when I saw you walking down the hall oddly” said Pre.

“Why didn’t you try to wake me?”

Pre looked unimpressed. “I’m sure you know that waking a sleepwalker can be dangerous. It is generally best to make sure they don’t walk into harm and to wait for them to return to bed or wake up on their own.” 

“Oh.” Obi-Wan didn’t remember if that was true, he had stopped sleepwalking young enough that he couldn’t recall how his father had handled it. “Why didn’t you steer me back to my room?”

“You would not be deterred. I tried to guide you, but you were very determined to continue on your path. Don’t worry,” Pre squeezed his hand where it rested in the crook of his elbow, “I would never have let you leave the house.” 

Obi-Wan was not particularly relieved. Especially as his eyes had adjusted to the light Pre was carrying and he could see the way Pre’s gaze kept roaming over his exposed chest, and down to where his pants set low on his hips. He felt so exposed, but he needed to return to his room and there was no way to politely leave Pre before they arrived. He wondered just how long Pre had watched him walk through the house. 

“Um thank you.” Obi-Wan finally answered. “I hope you were able to help your grandfather.”

Pre smirked, “Oh, I’m sure he’ll be fine in the morning. Plus, Jango helps him all the time.” After a moment, during which Obi-Wan could feel Pre ogling him some more, Pre continued “you must be cold. Here, why don’t you put on my dressing gown?” 

Obi-Wan did not want to drag out this walk, or end up wearing Pre’s clothes. It was so different from wearing Jango’s sweater -- even if he didn’t want to think too much about why right now. “Ah no that’s fine. We’ll be back to my room before long.”

Pre ignored his objections, and used his grip on Obi-Wan to pull him to stop. He then set his candle on a side table and slowly slipped out of his dressing gown while making intense eye contact with Obi-Wan. He then moved behind Obi-Wan to drape the gown over his shoulders. After settling the gown, Pre drug his hand down Obi-Wan’s back and over his butt. Obi-Wan jerked away from the touch. “See, you look much more comfortable in my clothes.” Pre was smirking as he once again tucked Obi-Wan’s hand into his side and took up the candle to resume their walk. 

Obi-Wan shivered again, the gown was so heavy. It hung with an immense weight off his shoulders. He kept walking, but it was more difficult to make forward progress than before, he was so tired. His eyes kept trying to slip closed, and Pre pulled him along down the hallways. 

Eventually they arrived back outside his door. Pre leaned across him to open the door, once again brushing against his body, much closer than Obi-Wan wanted. “Just like I promised, back safe at your room.” He brought his hand up to Obi-Wan’s cheek, stroking down the side of his face until he was cupping the back of his neck. In a cruel mimicry of what had been so sweet with Jango the other day, he pulled Obi-Wan’s head towards him until he could lean down to rest their foreheads together. Obi-Wan tried to pull away, but Pre held him firm with a grip of steel. After a brief struggle of wills, Pre let him move back, but only so Pre could lay a wet kiss on his cheek and whisper “so sweet for me.” 

As he was released, Obi-Wan threw himself into his room and locked the door. He could hear Pre chuckling softly in the hall as he walked away. Obi-Wan was shaking, from the cold and his unsettling dream as well as from his encounter with Pre. He threw the dressing gown off, not caring that it landed in an untidy mess on the floor. He quickly went to the bathroom and washed his face and cheek clean. He returned to bed, but after checking the time realized he would have to meet Jango in just a few hours -- so he spent the rest of the night in a light meditation. 

By the time dawn was breaking, Obi-Wan was exhausted. But, Jango was going out his way to do him a favor, so he dragged himself out of bed and washed up before putting on a clean outfit. A clean outfit of clothes that were entirely his. It was probably cold out, and he might shiver, but Obi-Wan couldn’t handle wearing anything that didn’t belong to him. 

He met Jango in the driveway, and Jango looked just as exhausted as he felt. He had deep purple bruises under his eyes, and his brow was drawn tight with stress. “I really appreciate you taking me down today. I heard Tor last night, I can’t imagine you got much sleep.”

Jango’s mouth tightened, “it was a rough night. At least some good came of it, normally I’d be catching up on sleep right now, so mother shouldn’t go looking for me.” He looked at Obi-Wan then slumped into the speeder. “You look like you had a rough night too.” 

“Just bad dreams,” Obi-Wan deferred. He did not want to talk about the mushrooms, or the weirdness in the cemetery -- and he certainly did not want to talk about Pre’s behavior. 

Jango hummed in acknowledgement. They spent the drive into town in comfortable silence, both of them distracted by the night before. It was a quick trip, and before long they were arriving at Dr. Quin’s office. It was early enough that the shop was still locked, but Obi-Wan rang the bell that said “for emergencies”. 

After a brief wait, Dr. Quin came running to the door. His dreadlocks were mussed from sleep, but he had pulled on his white coat and was clutching his bag. When he saw Obi-Wan standing outside the door, he relaxed and opened the door saying, “I feel like this isn’t an actual emergency.” 

While Obi-Wan had rung the bell without remorse, he blushed at being called out. “Well, I can’t stay in town long today and I needed to speak with you.” 

Dr. Quin crossed his arms over his chest and leaned against the wall, “Alright, what do you need?”

“Satine and Dr. Dooku agreed that you can come to the house to visit Anakin” Obi-Wan explained. “I was hoping you could come today?”

Dr. Quin shook his head, “sorry, I have a full day of appointments. But, I can come visit tomorrow.” 

“Tomorrow would be fantastic. Thank you!” He couldn’t help giving the man a brief hug in his gratitude. Hearing Dr. Quin would come and visit Anakin made a tight knot in Obi-Wan’s abdomen release. He breathed a sigh of relief. They said their goodbyes, and Dr. Quin returned to his clinic. 

Jango seemed a bit perturbed, but Obi-Wan ignored it. He was too happy to think about what could have possibly upset their comfortable silence from earlier. They made quick time returning to the House, and snuck back inside quietly to avoid alerting Ventress to their trip.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The tag has been added because while walking Obi-Wan back to his room late at night, Pre gropes his butt and kisses his cheek, despite Obi-Wan not being interested. There will be a few more instances of Pre hitting on Obi-Wan, and disregarding his disinterest in the situation. I do not plan for it to progress any further than it did in this chapter, but after feedback have updated the tags accordingly!


	16. Chapter 16

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tor beckoned Obi-Wan closer, and grasped his hands “Oh do come sit here with me my dear.” Obi-Wan settled on the couch and watched as the rest of the family settled at a seating area across the room. He wondered if Tor always received visitors like this, settling one person in the place of honor next to him and regulating the rest across the room and out of his notice. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> kot - strength

Obi-Wan returned to his room to find his breakfast tray waiting for him. He nibbled at the toast and jam and drank his tea. Hopefully the caffeine would help him make it through the day. After breakfast he headed to see if he could spend the morning with Anakin, but Satine turned him down. 

“I’m sorry it won’t be possible for you to see Anakin today. He woke up feeling ill and hasn’t made it out of bed today. He needs some uninterrupted sleep.” Satine said without even turning from where she was tending her lilies. 

“I promise I wouldn’t wake him up, it just makes me feel better to see him -- even if it is only for a moment.” He pleaded. 

She sighed, “not today.”

Obi-Wan couldn’t argue anymore, so he simply said “alright. Dr. Quin will be by tomorrow morning to give a second opinion.”

Satine’s entire frame stiffened and her hands finally stilled in their work. After a pause she replied, “if you insist.” She then refocused on her gardening, radiating irritation. 

Obi-Wan left quickly before he angered her any further. Not wanting to see any of the rest of the family, he retreated to his room. Where he spent the next several hours vaping shadowpaw and trying to study some of his neglected academic sources. Lunch was delivered on a tray at some point, and he ate the soup absentmindedly as he worked. About midafternoon he was startled from his calm by a sharp knock on the door. Bracing himself, he opened it to find -- Ventress on the other side. 

She had a mild expression on her face, but as the door opened, some of the scent of shadowpaw escaped into the hallway and she abruptly looked furious. “Good Afternoon Obi-Wan, I just wanted to make sure you knew we are going to be having another formal dinner tonight. Tor won’t be joining us, but he has asked for our presence at his room after dinner.”

“Thank you for the reminder, I’ll see you tonight.” Obi-Wan tried to end the conversation, and close the door but she put a hand out to stop it. 

“Are you smoking in there?” She asked incredulously.

“Of course not, I’m vaping. It's a much healthier habit.” 

“It’s a nasty habit.” She sneered back at him, “what made you think it was appropriate to vape inside the house?” 

Obi-Wan was taken aback, in Coruscant everyone vaped inside. “I’ve always vaped at home; and the vapor is just water. It's harmless to the furniture.” 

“It absolutely isn’t harmless, can’t you smell how it stinks? You must not vape inside anymore. That nasty habit shouldn’t be practiced anywhere near this home.” Ventress shook a finger in his face, making his eyes cross as he tried to follow its movements. She then gave him a hard glare and added “don’t be late!” As she turned and stalked off. 

Obi-Wan quickly closed his door, and then looked at his vape with a longing sigh. It felt like the only thing keeping him sane in this house. But, for now he’d put it away unless outside. The hours before dinner passed with agonizing slowness, especially since he was unable to distract himself from fretting over his dream the night before. It was so unsettling, those mushrooms had returned, and what was with the crowd chanting “death, overcome”? Then he kept replaying the end of the dream in his mind -- when the man had looked directly at him and seemed to look directly into his soul. 

He left his room at the usual time, but this time Jango was not waiting for him in the hall. Obi-Wan lingered as long as possible, but eventually had to head to dinner if he didn’t want to be late. When he arrived at the dining room, Jango was already at his seat. That hurt Obi-Wan a bit. They’d never agreed to keep walking to dinner together, but he thought they had an understanding.  _ Maybe Jango was still upset from whatever had happened this morning with Dr. Quin? _

Pushing the hurt down, and ignoring it, Obi-Wan took a seat at the table and tried to ignore the rest of the family trickling in. It was difficult when Pre sat down next to him. Eventually, the food was served along with the wine and Obi-Wan practically gulped his wine down -- attempting to cover his unease and upset. He didn’t eat much, but had several glasses of wine. 

All too soon, Ventress broke the silence, “if everyone is finished we can go visit father.” Obi-Was got up, resigned and found himself paired with Jango for the walk, as Pre was escorting Ventress and Satine and Bo Katan were walking together -- hands clasped and heads tilted close as they whispered quietly. Jango stood stiffly next to him, and flinched away when Obi-Wan started to reach for his arm. Obi-Wan stopped immediately, and tucked his hands behind his back to remove the temptation to try again, when he was clearly unwanted. 

They walked slowly, deeper into the house. It was a wing he hadn’t visited before, but the dust and gloom was even more pronounced in these hallways. Just before they entered the bedroom door, Jango leaned close and whispered “kot” under his breath. 

Inside, the room was dark -- heavy curtains covered the few windows and velvet tapestries hung from from the ceiling. It was too dark to clearly see what they depicted, but Obi-Wan thought he could see images of snakes eating their own tails and the signet for Clan Vizsla. 

Tor was sitting bundled up in a large blanket on a couch before a roaring fire. The family all trickled in, taking the time to slowly clasp his hand and kiss his cheek. Obi-Wan hung back, but eventually he was the only one left. He approached cautiously, as he got closer he realized how much older Tor looked this evening. His skin looked thin and stretched tight over his skull. Almost like some horrible mummy. 

Tor beckoned Obi-Wan closer, and grasped his hands “Oh do come sit here with me my dear.” Obi-Wan settled on the couch and watched as the rest of the family settled at a seating area across the room. He wondered if Tor always received visitors like this, settling one person in the place of honor next to him and regulating the rest across the room and out of his notice. 

With the light of the fireplace, he could see some of the artwork on the walls. Above the fireplace there were two old-fashioned portraits of what looked like the same woman at different points in her life. The woman looked remarkably like Satine, blond hair and light eyes. Tor followed his gaze, and said “pretty aren’t they?”

“Yes, who is she?” Asked Obi-Wan, making conversation. 

“They are my wives, the one on the left was Isbeau and the one on the right was Soniee.” He started to explain. 

Looking closer, they were two different women -- the hair color was a bit more red in the second woman, and her nose was slightly shorter. 

Tor continued, “Poor Isbeau, she died not long after moving to Concordia House, living just long enough to give birth to Ventress. But Soniee, ah she was a good wife. She gave me many children. Of course, these are all that’s left” he said while gesturing dismissively towards the group at the other end of the room. 

“They do look remarkably alike” commented Obi-Wan. 

Tor started laughing, “of course they do dear boy, they were sisters. They were orphans and penniless, but we were kin so I married Isbeau and when we moved here Soniee came along. ” 

Obi-Wan did a little mental math in his head, “so you married your cousin twice and your wife’s sister?”

Tor smirked at him, “scandalous isn’t it? But the kings of old used to marry their cousins and sisters all the time.”

Obi-Wan was incredulous, “but you’re not a king.”

Something in Tor’s eye’s flashed. “Of course not. Well, Isbeau and I were married for less than a year before she passed. At that time the house was still under construction and the mine wasn’t even open yet. Some years passed, Soniee grew up, and it's not like there was another suitable man in Mandalore for her to marry. It only made sense.” 

Obi-Wan wondered if Soniee got a new wedding dress, or if they had just dusted off Isbeau’s for her to wear. 

“Beautiful, my beautiful darlings.” Tor mused, his eyes far away, as he patted Obi-Wan’s hand. After a moment of silent contemplation, Tor refocused on Obi-Wan. “Just like you. I wonder why you aren’t married yet dear boy?” 

“My father asks the same thing. I’ve been too busy pursuing my degrees so far.”

Tor looked contemptuous, “pah don’t tell me the same lies you tell your father.” His expression turned foul as he studied Obi-Wan, his hand gripped with a strength that seemed impossible from his emaciated hand. Abruptly his face cleared, and he said loudly “have you seen our observatory?” 

“No, I wasn’t aware you had one.”

“Oh yes, it's quite old now -- and fallen into disrepair -- but when the roof is open it still gives a pretty view of the stars.” He raised his voice even higher in the quiet room, “Jango, come over here.”

Jango immediately got up and came at his grandfather’s call. “Can I do something for you?”

“Yes, I’d like you to show Obi-Wan the observatory. Make sure he can enjoy the stars.” Tor instructed. 

Jango gave a slight bow, “It’d be my pleasure.” He held out a hand to help Obi-Wan rise from the couch, then gave his grandfather a kiss on the cheek and led Obi-Wan out of the room. 

As they neared the observatory, Jango quietly said in mando’a “you did well with grandfather. He can be tricky to entertain.” 

Obi-Wan answered in mando’a, “I’m really not sure that he likes me.” 

Jango looked a bit resigned when he answered, “he likes you too much.” 

Obi-Wan wasn’t sure how to respond, so they finished exploring the observatory in silence. The view of the stars was stunning, but the general disrepair made it difficult to navigate the room. As they stood and watched the stars, Jango slowly intertwined his fingers with Obi-Wan’s. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> kot - strength


	17. Chapter 17

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Maybe skip this one if you’re triggered by non-con. See end notes for a brief summary if you decide to skip.

After seeing the observatory they walked quietly back to their rooms, and Jango once again pulled him into a brief embrace before saying good night. Obi-Wan was thankful to finally return to his room; talking to Tor was exhausting and he needed to be prepared for Dr. Quin’s visit tomorrow. 

He was still so cold though, while the observatory was stunning, the open roof had meant the room was extremely cold. When he was standing there with Jango he hadn’t noticed the cold, but now back in his room alone he felt chilled to the bone. Obi-Wan knew he needed to warm up if he was going to have any chance of falling asleep. The quickest way to warm up would be to take a bath. 

So he headed into the bathroom and drew a hot bath for himself. The water came quickly and was steaming hot which was a relief. Obi-Wan found some bubble bath in his toiletries and added it to the tub. It was lavender scented, which should help him relax. He slipped in the tub and stretched out, it really felt so lovely. 

As he was half dozing in the tub, he started to see some of the golden mushrooms sprouting in the corners of the bathroom and along the bottom of the tub. Just like before, he wasn’t concerned about the mushrooms — they felt safe and happy to see him. He soaked in their welcoming aura for quite a while before he heard his bedroom door open. Which was odd, but he was so content he couldn’t be bothered to get up and check. Before he could think about it too much, Pre walked into his bathroom. Obi-Wan was confused, but at least the bubbles covered his modesty. He found it hard to form words, he was just so tired, but he managed to humm a question towards Pre. 

Pre chuckled, “don’t worry. I just wanted to take a look at you.” His eyes were roaming over the skin he could see, the long expanse of Obi-Wan’s chest, and the tops of his knees where they peaked up out of the bubbles. Pre slowly approached and tapped the top of his knee, dipping his fingers ever so slightly under the water to stroke the top of his thigh. Then he refocused on Obi-Wan’s neck, and moved to kneel at the back of the tub so he could tilt Obi-Wan’s head back further against his shoulder. This exposed the creamy expanse of his neck, and Pre stared hungrily down at it. After a moment he brought his fingers up to slowly stroke Obi-Wan’s pulse, up and down, up and down. Obi-Wan relaxed into the touch, it was feather light and so very tender. Pre stayed there just lightly stroking his neck for almost ten minutes. Then he got up and left the room. 

Obi-Wan felt warm, until abruptly he wasn’t. He opened his eyes and realized he was sitting in a cold bath. He jerked up right, and looked around him. There were no mushrooms to be seen, and no sign of Pre anywhere. He must have fallen asleep in the tub and had a weird dream. Ugh, he needed to stop drinking so much of that wine. Obi-Wan got up, dried off, and bundled himself into bed. He slept lightly for the rest of night, but felt relatively normal when he woke up the next morning. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Obi-Wan falls asleep in a bubble bath before bed and dreams that mushrooms sprout, causing him to feel relaxed and sleepy. Pre walks into the bathroom and spends several minutes admiring him and rubbing his neck. Obi-Wan wakes up in a cold bath and goes to bed.


	18. Chapter 18

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dr. Quin stepped out with a bounce to his step, and he beamed at Obi-Wan when he realized Obi-Wan was waiting for him. “Couldn’t wait to see me again?” 
> 
> Obi-Wan couldn’t help chuckling, Dr. Quin’s good mood felt infectious. “Hello Quinlan. I didn’t want to leave you to the wolves, especially since you’re here as a favor.” 
> 
> Dr. Quin gave him a wink, then focused his attention on the house. “So this is the famous Concordia House?” He had an odd look on his face, obviously the house wasn’t living up to whatever stories he’d been told. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> a little longer chapter today as a treat for the short one yesterday :)

Obi-Wan spent the morning lingering near the front door, ready to escort Dr. Quin as soon as he arrived. Despite Satine’s grudging approval, he did not trust the family would be welcoming -- or even let him in the house. But he was trying to be hopeful that this would help. The House had such a hopeless air that he felt the need to overcompensate by hoping fiercely for his brother’s health. By midmorning he was frazzled, waiting was getting on his nerves and he really wanted to settle himself with a vape. But, he had just promised to not vape inside, so he decided to wait in the driveway so he could vape without guilt. About 20 minutes after going outside, just long enough for the fog to settle into his bones -- chilling him and making his clothes dam -- Dr. Quin arrived in his speeder. It was shiny and looked fast, very different from the old speeder owned by Clan Vizsla.

Dr. Quin stepped out with a bounce to his step, and he beamed at Obi-Wan when he realized Obi-Wan was waiting for him. “Couldn’t wait to see me again?” 

Obi-Wan couldn’t help chuckling, Dr. Quin’s good mood felt infectious. “Hello Quinlan. I didn’t want to leave you to the wolves, especially since you’re here as a favor.” 

Dr. Quin gave him a wink, then focused his attention on the house. “So this is the famous Concordia House?” He had an odd look on his face, obviously the house wasn’t living up to whatever stories he’d been told. 

“The one and only, you’ve never seen it before?” Asked Obi-Wan. 

“No,” answered Dr. Quin. “You remember the family has their own doctor, and no need for my services.” He shifted his eyes to the forest looming all around them, “plus these woods are full of mountain lions and bears. It isn’t a good place to be exploring.” 

Obi-Wan suddenly remembered how Jango had cautioned him in the cemetery.  _ ‘The woods are not somewhere for an outsider to explore.’ _ Was that in reference to the creatures in the woods? Or something else? 

“Of course, well I do really appreciate you coming all the way out here to help me.” 

Dr. Quin winked again, and then gestured for Obi-Wan to lead the way. 

As they entered the house, he was braced to see someone from the family trying to block their way. Maybe Ventress would appear, upset at the arrival of a visitor, or Satine having changed her mind. All was quiet though. So he led Dr. Quin through the house, and slowly began to realize there was no opposition to the visit. Anakin was alone in his room, wearing a loose blue shirt and sitting in a sunbeam. He had his face turned into the sun and looked like a cat soaking it all up. Upon hearing their entrance he turned to them with a big smile on his face. 

“Good morning! It’s so good to see you Obi.” He held his hand out to Dr. Quin, “my name is Anakin, it's nice to meet you.” 

“I’m Dr. Quin, but you can call me Quinlan.” He shook Anakin’s hand. 

“You almost look too young to be a doctor! Quinlan you look barely older than Obi!” Exclaimed Anakin, full of good cheer. 

Obi-Wan lifted one eyebrow, “Anakin you do know I’m a decade older than you -- and 30 would be plenty old enough to be a doctor.” 

Dr. Quin grinned, “oh don’t worry I get that all the time. I am a few years older than you Obi-Wan, and I’ve been practicing for almost five years Anakin. Not nearly as long as Dr. Dooku, but I do think my knowledge is a bit more recent than his at least.”

Anakin laughed, “well you’ve convinced me then Quinlan. Please, examine away!” 

He seemed so normal, it almost made Obi-Wan embarrassed to have brought Dr. Quin all the way out here for nothing. But, not long into the exam Anakin started flagging. His good mood changed to agitation, and it was clear to Obi-Wan that while he couldn’t pinpoint anything exactly as being wrong, something was definitely not right. 

“How have you been sleeping?” Asked Dr. Quin.

“I’ve been sleeping fine. Really I’m much better, I just need lots of rest and I’ll be fine. I’m sorry you had to come all this way for nothing.” Said Anakin nervously. He was putting a false cheer into voice, but his hand was nervously rubbing back and forth across his wedding ring. 

“Have you been taking streptomycin and para-aminosalicylic acid?” 

“I think so.” Anakin answered so quickly, that Obi-Wan wasn’t sure he even heard the question. 

Dr. Quin started taking notes, “did you also take a remedy from Bant? Was it a tea or herb?” 

Anakin looked around the room nervously, “What? Why would you ask that?” 

Dr. Quin looked up from his notes, “I’m just trying to get a complete picture of what medications you’ve been taking. That way we can determine if they’re interacting poorly or if they have difficult side effects.” 

Anakin quietly answered “there is no remedy.” He then spoke again “bhalfihg”, but it wasn’t a real word. It was a babbling of sound, like a child learning to speak. After saying the nonsense word he suddenly clutched at his neck, almost as if trying to choke himself. But the movement wasn’t angry, it was defensive. He was trying to protect his neck. The movement startled Obi-Wan and Dr. Quin, and they both jerked back -- out of Anakin’s personal space. Anakin looked spooked, his eyes kept darting as if looking for an escape route. 

Neither of them responded immediately, not wanting to set him off further. Eventually Dr. Quin softly asked “What’s wrong?” 

“The noise.” Said Anakin quietly, as his hands slid up his neck to cover his mouth. 

Dr. Quin looked at Obi-Wan questioningly, so Obi-Wan took the lead and asked “what noise?” 

Anakin took a deep breath then slowly lowered his hands to grip the arms of his chair. “Can you please leave? I am very tired and need to sleep.” His knuckles turned white from the force of his grip. “I don’t know why you are insisting on bothering me when I should be sleeping!” His voice cracked at the end of the sentence. He slumped in his chair and closed his eyes as if blocking them out.

Dr. Quin raised his hands, trying to show he wasn’t a threat. “If you want ---” 

“I can’t talk to you even more, I’m exhausted. Please leave. It is exhausting to be ill and it's even worse when those around me say I shouldn’t do anything. I feel bad, and it's odd. I just need to sleep!” He took a deep shuddering breath. Then sat upright and opened his eyes. Anakin turned to look in Obi-Wan’s eyes, an intense gaze that Obi-Wan hadn’t seen for a long time. 

“There are people in the walls.” Anakin hissed out. “There are people and their voices in the walls. I see them sometimes, the people in the walls. They’re dead.” He reached out to grab Obi-Wan’s hands tightly. So tightly. “It lives in the cemetery. You must look in the cemetery.” 

Then he released Obi-Wan’s hands as if they burned him and stood to look out the window towards the cemetery. He glared at it for a beat, while Dr. Quin and Obi-Wan shared a baffled look. “I’m sorry. I don’t know what I said, I’m sorry.” Then he began coughing, gasping for breath and bending double as he coughed and coughed and coughed. 

Satine and Ventress walked in, carrying a tray of tea and Satine eyed Dr. Quin and Obi-Wan with distaste before she asked, “will you be much longer? Anakin needs his rest.” 

Dr. Quin almost jumped up in his haste to leave, it was clear he was no longer welcome. “No I am finished.” He quickly gathered his items, and with a glance at Anakin being helped into bed -- Obi-Wan followed after him. 

They walked quickly out of the house, Dr. Quin was obviously not interested in staying any longer. But once they were back in the foggy driveway, Obi-Wan couldn’t contain his concern any longer. “Well, what is your professional opinion?” 

Dr. Quin grimaced, “I’d have to take a lung x ray to diagnose tuberculosis, I didn’t even have time to listen to his breathing. Which, again I’m not an expert in tuberculosis, so I can’t confirm that diagnosis based on the brief examination. In regards to his mental health, well I said I wasn’t a psychiatrist. It wouldn’t be right for me to speculate---” 

“I know all the caveats, but I need you to tell me something, anything.” Obi-Wan was exasperated, he’d had such hope this morning. “You came all the way here, and I trust your opinion more than Dr. Dooku’s.”

Dr. Quin sighed, and looked back at his car, avoiding Obi-Wan’s eyes. “I think you were correct, he needs psychiatric evaluation and care. He won’t be able to get that here -- you should take him back to the core with you. Or perhaps bring a psychiatrist from Coruscant here to treat him.” 

Obi-Wan did not think he could take Anakin anywhere, Satine was very protective -- possessive -- of her husband. It had taken so much to get them to agree to Dr. Quin’s visit, getting agreement for a psychiatrist to visit seemed impossible. Obi-Wan felt like crying. He just wanted to help his brother. 

Dr. Quin turned back, and his face softened. He put his hand on Obi-Wan’s shoulder and drew him into a hug. Obi-Wan started to cry, he hid his face in Quinlan’s shoulder and let out a few wracking sobs. Quinlan patted his back gently and let him cry. 

Eventually Obi-Wan took a shuddering breath and drew back. Dr. Quin let him go, and said “I’m sorry. I’ve left you in a worse position than you were before I came.” 

Obi-Wan scraped back together what was left of his dignity and lied through his teeth “oh no, I’m very thankful you came. 

Dr. Quin looked skeptical, but didn’t press. “Well if you need anything else you know where to find me.” Then he got in his speeder and left, driving back down through the fog off the mountain. 

Obi-Wan looked at the sky and tried to avoid bursting back into tears. He felt so foolish for his hope this morning. Of course this couldn’t be fixed by forcing the family to allow for a second opinion. The Vizsla’s were insular, and did not want to let Anakin leave. He was blinking rapidly and focusing on his breathing when he heard the crunching of gravel behind him. Taking a deep, fortifying breath he turned to see Jango wearing his beskar and looking at him with a soft expression. 

“Was Dr. Quin as helpful as you hoped?” He asked quietly in mando’a. 

“No, he couldn’t help. Anakin seemed worse today.” Obi-Wan said dejectedly as he looked away from Jango. He couldn’t handle the soft expression on his face, he felt like his heart was breaking open. 

Jango walked closer and lightly placed his knuckles under Obi-Wan’s chin to draw his gaze to Jango’s face. “You cannot fix everything.” 

“No, but I used up most of my goodwill with Satine to bring him here and nothing came of it!” He was nearly shouting, then he caught himself and added quietly in a voice that shook despite his best efforts, “now how can I convince her to let me take him to the core for treatment?”

“You likely can’t. She is stubborn, and believes she knows what is best for the family.” Jango was still looking at him with such tenderness. “But you tried, and Anakin knows you tried.” 

Obi-Wan leaned into Jango, the feeling of the cold, hard beskar pressing into him was grounding. Jango brought his arms up to pull him even closer. They stood there for quite a while, not talking, but Obi-Wan soaking up the strength and support Jango freely offered. 


	19. Chapter 19

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> tw: mentions of suicide. see end notes for a description, and skip from ----- to ----- in the story.

Obi-Wan spent the next several days listlessly adjusting to life at Concordia House. It was all too easy to fall into a routine, time felt like it was barely passing — and yet time marched on. 

He would wake up when his breakfast was delivered, nibble at it and clean up before spending the rest of the morning with Anakin. They would play cards, or Obi-Wan would read quietly until his brother slept. Anakin didn’t bring up the noises in the walls again, in fact he didn’t talk about much at all. 

When Satine arrived with Anakin’s medication and lunch, he would retreat to his own room. He would eat some of the thin soup and meditate for a few hours before searching for Jango. Together they would walk around the house, or sit together in the observatory. They avoided serious conversation topics, but instead talked about safe topics such as their favorite books or obscure mando’a grammar rules. They’d hold hands as they talked about their interests, and time would pass much quicker when they were together. 

On the second day of this routine, they started sharing soft kisses. It happened when Jango was telling Obi-Wan a traditional mandalorian folk tale. He was explaining the importance of the mythosaur, and Obi-Wan looked at the simple joy on his face and could only think “ _ oh”  _ before he was leaning over and capturing Jango’s lip in a soft kiss. The kiss was sweet, soft and tender. Jango was hesitant, but after a pause he leaned into it, and brought his hand up to cup Obi-Wan’s cheek. They both smiled into it, and broke apart for a moment. But they stayed close, their foreheads connected and sharing their breath. 

Obi-Wan didn’t hear the rest of the tale of the mythosaur that night. They were too distracted sharing kisses. Jango was intoxicating, and kissing him felt right. It made something bright and warm bloom in Obi-Wan’s chest. 

Unfortunately he couldn’t kiss Jango all the time, he still had to attend a silent family dinner each night. The food never improved, but the wine was definitely growing on him. 

He did return to the cemetery, looking to see what Anakin could have possibly meant about “it” being in the cemetery. But it was foggy, and all he could see was the same graves and mausoleum and statue. He wandered around for a bit, but returned to the house and the comfort of Jango’s kisses when nothing stood out to him. 

He also had more difficulty sleeping, he couldn’t always remember his dreams, but each night he slept restlessly. He had images of Pre in his room, pulling back his blankets; images of Pre holding his hand and leading him deep into the house. But while the images weren’t clear, he would awaken with a young woman’s voice ringing in his ears “wake up. You must wake up. Wake up now!!” The voice remained clear, and unsettling when he’d awake, tangled in his sheets and missing his shirt. 

The last day of the week he had a different dream; he heard a loud drumming from the hallway calling to him, so he got out of bed and opened the door to see what it was. The wallpaper looked slick and soft, he pressed his hand against it, it was soft -- a big sore. The floors felt the same, the wallpaper and flooring peeling to reveal organs, full of veins and arteries instead of brick or boards. He followed the beating of the drum -- of the heart -- and a long line of red along the floor. Until he was standing in the middle of a hallway and saw a woman standing in the hall and staring at him. He hadn’t seen a picture of her, but she looked so much like Jango, and she was holding a long bloody sword as she stared at him. She must be Arla. 

She was wearing a long white nightgown, and her dark hair was loose in a halo around her head. The moonlight shining through it made her glow. She smiled at Obi-Wan and they started walking down the hallway -- their movements in sync and they even breathed together. Arla pushed her hair out of her face and Obi-Wan brushed his hair back too. 

The walls were glowing, similar to the mushrooms as it guided them deeper into the house. The walls were still made of flesh, the floor squished with every step. Fuzzy mold spread out in dizzying patterns and whorls, as if the entire house was an overripe fruit.  The beating of the heart grew louder, filling his ears until it was all he could hear. It sped up, and he could feel the pounding in his entire body. Until he was beating in sync and felt that he would go deaf from the sound. 

Arla opened a door. Obi-Wan grit his teeth because the noise increased. It was echoing out of that room through the rest of the house. 

He could see a man on a bed inside. But it was a bloated version of a man. Looking as though he had drowned and floated to the surface, all blue veins and rumors straining against the bloat of his flesh. But his chest was rising and falling. He could not possibly be alive, and yet he was. As Arla walked in, he sat up and extended his arms to her. Demanding an embrace.

Obi-Wan couldn’t force himself to walk into the room, but Arla approached, fearless. The man’s hand spread, grasping for her. Arla stared at him and raised her sword. Obi-Wan closed his eyes, he did not want to see this. But he heard the squelch of the sword, the rush of blood and the muffled screams of the man. 

_ He must be dead. He had to be.  _

\-----

He opened his eyes to see Arla walking past him, into the hallway. She looked at Obi-Wan, set her face with determination and said “I’m not sorry.” As she raised her sword, and thrust it into her stomach. 

There was blood, against the wall and the floor. Arla fell, bending like a flower. Obi-Wan was not unnerved by the suicide. This felt like the way things should be. He felt soothed, and almost smiled.

\----- 

He suddenly saw a golden figure standing at the end of the hall. It was a woman, with a blur of a face and a rippling, liquid body -- rushing towards Obi-Wan with a huge open mouth as if to consume him. Or to scream. Or both. 

Now he was afraid, now he was terrified. “You must wake up!” That familiar female voice commanded him. He woke up as he had every night so far, in bed. A tangled mess, a cold sweat and heavy breathing. He could hear the echoing moans of Tor. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In the dream Arla commits suicide after killing the man in the bed. She says "I'm not sorry." Obi-Wan feels soothed by her death instead of unnerved.


	20. Chapter 20

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bant pulled out a small jar with a swirling blue liquid inside. “Here it is, I made it extra strong this time, so make sure he doesn’t take more than one tablespoon a day.” 
> 
> Obi-Wan took it gingerly, “this will cure him?” 
> 
> “No. He’d have to leave that house to be cured. But it will help for a bit.” 

Eventually, a week had passed since he ordered the medicine from Bant. It had also been long enough since their last trip into the city that they could take the speeder without all the subterfuge. Ventress wouldn’t be thrilled about their trip, but Jango assured him it would be alright. 

It was easy to return to Bant’s house, she was once again outside working on her garden when they arrived. This time she had company though, there was the same young man who visited after Obi-Wan last time. Bant looked up, her glasses making her eyes look enormous as she took them both in. “You’re certainly punctual. And you Jango, finally spending more time in town?” 

Obi-Wan couldn’t help giving Jango a look, he hadn’t mentioned knowing Bant. “Of course, I appreciate you making the remedy so quickly.” 

Bant stood up and dusted off her hands, “well I just finished it, so your timing is perfect. Come on in,” she said as she started towards her house. Then she said loudly back over her shoulder, “Kix, make sure your cousin is doing all right.” Obi-Wan followed her, but looked back before going through the door to see Jango and Kix standing closely together as they talked. 

Inside, Bant pulled out a small jar with a swirling blue liquid inside. “Here it is, I made it extra strong this time, so make sure he doesn’t take more than one tablespoon a day.” 

Obi-Wan took it gingerly, “this will cure him?” 

“No. He’d have to leave that house to be cured. But it will help for a bit.” 

“Because the house is cursed?” Asked Obi-Wan skeptically, remembering what she had said during his last visit. 

“The house? Or the family? Doesn’t really matter.” Bant shook her head and muttered a blessing in mando’a under her breath. 

“Can you tell me more about why Arla killed so many of her new family? Or any rumors you’ve heard about it?” 

Bant studied him, “I hear lots of things, but it's a long story. Don’t think I have time to tell it for free.”

“Of course,” Obi-Wan pulled some credits out and laid them on the table between them. 

She scooped the credits up, “to tell it properly I’ll have to talk about both Mace and Depa. Want some tea? It is easier to share a story over hot drinks.” 

Obi-Wan nodded so she turned and made them each a cup of tea. Obi-Wan wasn’t particularly hungry, which was weird; at home he always had a hearty breakfast and ate plenty at dinner but since he had arrived at Concordia House his appetite had all but dried up. He felt vaguely nauseous most of the time, the way he felt before catching a cold -- but he hadn’t developed any other symptoms. Maybe the tea would rekindle his hunger. 

The leaves she used were unlike any Obi-Wan had seen before -- they glistened a deep blue, and had small purple flowers mixed in. After it was done steeping, it smelled spicy and floral. As he took a sip, it filled his mouth with an earthy flavor that had light floral overtones; then as that flavor faded, a sharp spice hit the back of his throat clearing his sinuses. It was the best tea he’d had in ages. 

Bant took a happy sip, then started her story. “The Vizsla’s beskar mine is as old as Mandalore, but it had been closed for many years when he arrived. Old man Vizsla spending the money to reopen it was big news. Despite him bringing most of his employees from the Core, there was still a need for local workers. The mandalorians ended up doing most of the dirty work while those from the Core supervised and worked to build Concordia House.

“The mine reopening promised jobs for the locals, and an influx of money into town. It was supposed to revitalize Mandalore. But, almost as soon as the mine was up and running the employees started complaining. The work was difficult, but Mr. Vizsla was worse.”

“He treated the workers poorly?” Questioned Obi-Wan.

“Like animals, they said. He was nicer to those building his house, and at least they weren’t stuck working in a hole beneath the earth. The Mandalorian miners he had no mercy for. Him and his brother, Almec, would bellow at them to work faster, longer, harder all day long. 

“Vizsla was obsessed with building the house quickly, with a great garden behind it. He wanted it to be full of lilies. He was so obsessive he even shipped in many, many boxes full of earth from the Core to ensure they grew properly. So, his employees were all working themself to the bone below the earth or building that house when the sickness first hit. It got the employees at the house first, but quickly spread to the miners. They were all feverish, and Vizsla had his doctor look them over. He brought his own doctor just like he brought the soil. The doctor was no help, they all died. Even Vizsla’s wife.”

“That was when they built the cemetery behind the house,” Obi-Wan interjected. 

Bant nodded. “Right, eventually the sickness passed, and new employees were hired. Mostly from Mandalore, but a few from the Core who had heard there was a Core run mine. They all hoped to make their fortune in beskar. 

“Time passed and the house was finished, fully staffed with Mandalorians, and the mine worked nonstop with full mining crews. Old man Vizsla was still a hard employer, but he always paid on time and he even followed the local custom of paying partial wages in beskar for the miners. But, around the time he got remarried things started to fall apart again.” 

Obi-Wan reflected on what he knew of Tor’s wifes, Isbet had died early but was given a full statue in the graveyard; despite Tor’s claim that he barely knew her. While Soniee, who had lived with him for many decades and apparently given him several children wasn’t immortalized at all. Did he like her even less than his first wife? Or did he just no longer care to memorialize the dead when she passed?

“There was another wave of that same sickness. It was even worse than before, miners and house staff were dying in droves. Fevers and chills, then a quick death.”

“Is that when they started using mass graves?” Obi-Wan asked, thinking about what Dr. Quin had said. 

Ban frowned at him. “There weren’t any mass graves. Most locals took and buried their own in the cemetery in town. But those without kin were buried in the cemetery behind the house. Of course they didn’t waste resources on any grave markers for the Mandalorian employees, which is probably why people started talking about mass graves. An empty hole in the ground, with no marker or ceremony is little better than a mass grave.”

Obi-Wan thought about the size of the cemetery, and all the unknown and unnamed people buried there. What he knew of Mandalorian culture wasn’t as concerned about the body after death, but it was important to memorialize the names of those who were gone. So, by not giving them any grave markers, the Vizsla’s had greatly disrespected the local customs around death and grieving. He couldn’t help the shiver that passed through him. 

“Anyway, that wasn’t the only problem. Vizsla decided to end the custom of paying partial wages in beskar. None of the miners were happy, but one man -- Mace \-- he was angry enough to try and change things. He talked about the poor conditions at the mining camp, how the Core doctor was helpless against the illness and they needed real treatments, and how even worse Vizsla was a greedy man who wanted to grow rich on their rightful portion of beskar. He was charismatic, full of righteous fury -- a natural leader. He led them in a strike. 

“Old man Vizsla thought he could bully them into going back to work. But he underestimated the fighting spirit of mandalore. He took his brother and some of their trusted Core men to make threats at the mining camp. But Mace and his men fought back. They nearly killed Almec. Not long after Mace was found dead. The core doctor said it was natural causes, but no one was stupid enough to believe that. He led the strike and ended up dead.”

“There was an epidemic going on though,” Obi-Wan couldn’t help but point out. 

Bant waved that away, “sure, but those who saw his face said it looked awful. Like he had died of fright -- his eyes were bulging and his mouth was open. It scared everyone so much they ended the strike. The mine continued running, Vizsla got remarried and eventually his wife started having babies. Ventress was the first, then Adonai.” 

“Wait,” Obi-Wan broke in, “I thought Ventress was the first wife -- Isbet’s -- kid?” 

Bant hummed for a moment, and looked thoughtful. “Isbet was pregnant when she came to Mandalore, but she never gave birth as near as the staff could tell. He did try to claim later than Ventress was hers, but the house staff all knew better. But, where was I? Oh, yes his brother started having kids as well, and after they grew up the girl was married to Vizsla’s son, Adonai. 

“Even more kissing cousins?” Obi-Wan was disturbed, no wonder the entire family looked so much alike. Things had not ended well for the “kings of old” Tor had referenced when explaining away the practice. 

“Not as much kissing as was hoped. That’s why they brought in the local boy Jaster. His marriage to Ventress proved fruitful, so they started looking for another option for Almec’s oldest boy -- Xanatos. This is where Depa comes in.” Continued Bant. 

“Hang on, Ventress already had Pre before she married Jaster. Who was his father?” Asked Obi-Wan, this family tree was getting confusing. 

“That isn’t important, she was briefly married to another cousin from the Core. Now, Depa was Mace’s niece and she really took after him, charming with a strong sense of justice. She was staff at the big house, and maybe Vizsla didn’t know, or maybe he didn’t care. Afterall, how much trouble could one young lady cause? Quite a lot. See, Arla had moved to the house with Jaster when he got married because their parents were dead. She half grew up there, and despite being betrothed to Xanatos, she fell in love with Depa.” 

Obi-Wan reflected on how Tor ruled the house with an iron fist, “I can’t imagine that went over well.” He could see how furious Tor would have been, yelling at Arla in front of his fireplace, as she fixed her eyes on the floor. Depa hadn’t stood a chance. 

“They said when he found out he almost killed her. By then he had spent several years investing in her education and preparing her to join the family. He felt she owed them the marriage.”

Obi-Wan blanched, picturing Tor wrapping his hands around her neck, pressing and digging deep as she was incapable of protesting from the lack of breath. It was so vivid that he had to close his eyes, take a deep breath and grip the table before it would go away.

“Are you alright?” Bant looked at him concerned. 

“I’m fine, just a little tired.” Obi-Wan took another fortifying drink of tea. “Then what happened?”

“There isn’t much more to the story. Depa vanished one night.”

“She was killed like her uncle?” 

“Worse, she just disappeared from one day to the next. Some people said she ran off because she was afraid of Vizsla -- but Depa was a fearless girl and totally devoted to Arla, mandokar to the core. Others said Vizsla did the disappearing.

“The wedding continued without a hitch. Nothing changed despite Depa’s disappearance. The mine and house kept running as normal, one missing woman couldn’t stop it. But it mattered to Arla. No one is sure what exactly happened, but they said she put a sleeping draught in their food. She was so clever, and knew many things about the traditional remedies, so it's likely she mixed it herself. Maybe in the beginning she planned to put them to sleep and run away, but after Depa was taken she changed her mind. She pulled down one of the old beskar swords and started with old man Vizsla, hitting him while he slept for what he had done to her lover. She didn’t kill him, but he hasn’t ever recovered. 

“She didn’t stop there, she killed her husband, and all the others she could find. Ventress and Adonai were out of the house with their children, and Jaster hid with Jango -- but she killed everyone else.”

“But if she was avenging her dead lover shouldn’t she have stopped with the man responsible? Why would she also kill all the others too?” Obi-Wan asked, 

Bant shrugged, “maybe she thought they were also guilty? Or maybe she was mad. It's impossible to say. The whole family is cursed, I tell you, and that house is haunted. You’re either very silly or very brave to still be living there.”

Obi-Wan remembered his dream. Arla had said ‘I’m not sorry.” Had she truly not been remorseless as she had walked through the house killing the family? Just because that’s how he dreamed it, didn’t mean that is how it happened. After all, the house had been distorted in his dream. Goodness, he couldn’t even confirm that the lady he had dreamed about was Arla at all. 

“There isn’t much you can do about ghosts or hauntings. My remedy can keep the dreams away. But some places are just heavy, where the evil has seeped into the soil and the very air, and it weighs it down. The places can’t be cleansed and they just need to be destroyed from the top down. Ended and renewed. That’s what's wrong with the Vizslas and Concordia House.” Bant ended her tale and stood to rifle through the drawers in her kitchen. 

Obi-Wan rested his head in his hands. The tea had been helpful, but his stomach was still rolling, and the gruesome story hadn’t helped him at all. 

Bant exclaimed in triumph and held up a beskar bracelet. She walked over to Obi-Wan and placed it in his hand. 

“What’s this?” He asked warily. 

“You need to wear it. It is protection against the evil eye. It might not help, but it can’t hurt.” 

Obi-Wan looked at it, it had a beautiful pattern carved into it, and being beskar it wasn’t a cheap trinket. He couldn’t refuse, and didn’t want to hurt her feelings when she had been so kind to him. So he slipped it under the sleeve of Jango’s cardigan and said “thank you.” He gave her a few more credits, and carefully gathered the remedy before leading the way out of her house. 

Jango was still outside, but he was working in the garden alongside Kix and a few other young men. At the sound of the door opening, he immediately looked up and smiled at Obi-Wan. He said something quietly to the men next to him, then stood up and met Obi-Wan back at the speeder. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mandokar - the *right stuff*, the epitome of Mando virtue - a blend of aggression, tenacity, loyalty and a lust for life


	21. Chapter 21

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Anakin finally pulled out a small polished spoon and poured himself a tablespoon of the remedy. Instead of stirring it into his tea, he drank it dry. Then another and a third. Obi-Wan stopped him after the fourth, pulling the bottle and the spoon out of his hands and placing it on the dresser.

Jango had a happy look on his face as they drove away. Obi-Wan enjoyed the peace for a bit before asking, “so were those your cousins?”

“Yeah, on my dad’s side. I don’t get to see them very often.” His brows drew together in a frown. “My mother doesn’t approve of that side of the family.”

Obi-Wan couldn’t help making a small sound of dismay. “I am sorry. Is that why you asked me what makes a good cousin when we first spoke?” 

“It is, I wish I could see them more. I’ve worried for a long time that they won’t accept me -- especially since I’ve been so distant since my dad died.” Jango explained slowly. “I haven’t seen them since the funeral. I honestly thought they might have forgotten me.” 

Obi-Wan reached over to grab his hand, “that’s not how family works. A real family would still look out for you no matter how much time has passed. The family at Concordia House is very toxic -- you deserve better.”

Jango nodded, but seemed unable to speak. Obi-Wan gave his hand a comforting squeeze and tried to provide some comfort. He changed the subject, “Bant was telling more about what happened at Concordia House, you know with Arla.” This subject wasn’t much lighter, but he couldn’t stop thinking about it. 

“What about her?” Jango asked. 

“That she wanted to run away with her lover, but instead she shot most of her family. I don’t understand why she did that. Why wouldn’t she just run away? She had family in town, surely she could have just left?”

Jango looked grim. “You can’t leave Concordia House.” 

“Of course you can, she was an adult.”

“Do you do everything you want to? Even if it would upset your family?” Jango asked.

“I could, but I don’t.” He thought on how important his family’s social standing was to their business, how difficult a scandal would be for Qui-Gon to handle. 

Jango’s face was hard. “What she should have done was burnt the whole house to the ground.” He sounded almost proud of Arla, and there was longing in his voice -- as if given a chance he would happily set the house ablaze. It was shocking. 

After a few minutes of silence, Obi-Wan decided to take a leap of faith, “if you’re so unhappy at Concordia House you don’t have to stay, Jango you can leave and no one would judge you.” He looked nervous, then shyly added, “you could come back to Coruscant with me.” 

Jango stopped the speeder at that, and he turned to look directly at Obi-Wan. “Thank you, I appreciate that more than you know, but I can’t leave.” 

“Can’t or won’t?”

Jango gave a bitter laugh. “Can’t. But, it was so nice of you to ask. I won’t forget it.” He then leaned over and pulled Obi-Wan into a searing kiss. It felt like he was trying to pour all of his jumbled emotion into the kiss, Obi-Wan saw stars as he was consumed by Jango’s need. He pulled away all too soon, but Obi-Wan chased his mouth for a lingering, soft kiss. They sat with their foreheads together for a bit longer, before Jango moved away to resume driving. 

They got back to the house around lunchtime, and Obi-Wan headed straight to Anakin’s room without speaking to Satine first. He had finally accomplished the first task Anakin gave him, and didn’t want to waste any more time. Anakin was sitting in his usual spot, wearing a soft gray top, with a fuzzy yellow blanket in his lap. He looked up upon hearing Obi-Wan enter, and smiled brightly at him. 

“What brings you here at such an unsuspected time of day?” Anakin asked. 

“I brought you a present.” Obi-Wan couldn’t help teasing him a little. He held the bottle behind his back in his left hand. “Guess which hand I’m holding it in and I’ll give it to you.”

Anakin laughed softly, and picked the right hand. 

“I’m sorry you’ve lost this round!” Obi-Wan said as he showed his empty hand. 

Anakin narrowed his eyes, “how do I know that you didn’t just move it and cheat?”

Obi-Wan couldn’t keep the mirth off his face and he held out his left hand. “I would never cheat! But, since you don’t trust me, here is your present anyway.” 

The blue bottle sparkled in the weak light, and Anakin gasped. “Oh Obi-Wan you did it.” He carefully took the bottle, and cradled it close to his chest like a precious jewel. 

“I promised you I would. Bant said you should take 1 tablespoon a day in your tea.” 

Anakin stood up, he was a little wobbly, but he made his way over to his dresser as he said “Obi, thank you, thank you. You’ve always been by my side since childhood, I knew you wouldn’t abandon me. We thought monsters and ghosts were found in books, but they’re real you know?” 

He started digging through his drawer, removing springs and washers and bits and bobs of machinery. For a moment the image was so like Anakin back in Coruscant that Obi-Wan felt dizzy. But it passed when Anakin finally pulled out a small polished spoon and poured himself a tablespoon of the remedy. Instead of stirring it into his tea, he drank it dry. Then another and a third. Obi-Wan stopped him after the fourth, pulling the bottle and the spoon out of his hands and placing it on the dresser. 

“Anakin, dear, don’t take so much! Bant said one tablespoon a day. Plus I thought we’d play a few hands of sabac this afternoon and I don’t need you falling asleep and claiming I’m cheating again.” 

“Yes, yes of course.” Anakin smiled weakly, then held out his hands for the cards. “I should shuffle to ensure you aren’t stacking the deck.” As he took the deck, his hands froze. His blue eyes were open wide and his mouth was closed tight. He looked like he had gone into a trance. 

“Anakin? Are you alright? Do you need to sit down?” he asked with a frown. 

Anakin did not reply, so Obi-Wan gently took his arm and tried to guide him towards his bed. But he wouldn’t move, his hands curled into tight fists and he got a wild look on his face. His eyes looked possessed. Obi-Wan couldn’t get him to move even an inch. 

“Anakin, dear, I need you to walk with me.” Obi-Was said, he was getting worried. There was a loud crack -- almost like a popping joint, but much more aggressive -- and Anakin started to shiver. It turned into wracking convulsions as his hands relaxed enough to grab his stomach. He was shaking his head, as a deadly scream escaped his lungs. 

Obi-Wan tried to hold him still, and drag him towards the bed, but Anakin had always been taller than him and despite how frail he looked, he managed to resist Obi-Wan. The struggle ended with both of them on the floor as Anakin seized. His mouth was opening and closing, his legs and arms shaking violently. 

“Help!” Obi-Wan yelled. “Help!”

Obi-Wan was not prepared to deal with a seizure so when no one came immediately he ran into the hall and started banging on Jango’s door, “Help Me!” He was making such a commotion, why wouldn’t any one come? 

Then suddenly, Jango and Ventress and Satine were right behind him. “Anakin is having a seizure,” he told them. They all looked grim than ran into the room. Anakin was still on the floor, the tremors were as strong as before. Jango rushed forward and placed his arms around Anakin to subdue him. Satine stabilized his head, and when Obi-Wan started forward to help Ventress blocked his way. 

“Get out.” Her voice was steel. 

“I can help.” Obi-Wan pleaded. 

“Out now!” She ordered, shoving Obi-Wan and slamming the door in his face. He knocked furiously but he was ignored. He could hear them talking inside, but no one came. He started pacing the hallway, running his hands down his face. 

After what felt like an eternity, Jango came out and quickly closed the door behind him. He looked upset. 

“What’s happening? Is he ok?” asked Obi-Wan.

“He’s in bed. I’m going to fetch Dr. Dooku.” Jango said as he started down the hall. 

Obi-Wan followed him, and grabbed his hand. “I’ll go with you.” 

“No.” Jango said, hard. 

“I can help.” 

Jango turned on him, more furious than he had ever seen. “If you come with me, it’ll be worse. Dr. Dooku is not going to be happy, and Satine is up in arms. Stay in the sitting room, let them cool off and when I’m back I’ll let you know.” 

“Promise?”

“Yes.” Obi-Wan searched his face and saw only truth through the fury. He released Jango’s hand and followed behind him slowly as Jango ran out of the house. 

He reached the sitting room, and felt awful. He was worried sick for his brother, and being kept out of the loop made it impossible to calm himself. He sat directly on the carpet and put his head in his hands. Waiting. 


	22. Chapter 22

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Obi-Wan immediately approached the doctor and asked “How is he?”
> 
> He glared at Obi-Wan, “He is sleeping now, the crisis has passed.”
> 
> Obi-Wan felt the tension leaving his body, he couldn’t hold himself up anymore so he sank into the closest chair. “Thank the force. I don’t understand what happened. Seizures shouldn’t be a side effect of tuberculosis.” 
> 
> Ventress was nearly vibrating with anger as she spat out “It happened because of this!” She held up the bottle he had just gotten from Bant. “Where did you get it?”

In the grand scheme of things, it took no time at all for Jango and Dooku to return, and head up to Anakin’s room together. But to Obi-Wan it felt like an eternity. After their return he scraped himself off the floor and wiped the tears off his face with the sleeve of Jango’s sweater. He had worn it that morning since Bant had enjoyed it on his last visit, but now it was providing comfort as he imagined the warmth of the sweater coming from Jango’s body heat, sitting next to him and offering comfort. 

It took another eternity for anyone to come speak to him after the doctor arrived. He spent it pacing in the sitting room, hoping someone would tell him what was going on -- hoping Jango would come back. By the time he returned, it was well into the evening. When Jango returned he was relieved for a moment before he saw Dr. Dooku behind him with Ventress. Jango’s face looked blank, but the others all had furious looks on their faces. 

Obi-Wan immediately approached the doctor and asked “How is he?”

He glared at Obi-Wan, “He is sleeping now, the crisis has passed.”

Obi-Wan felt the tension leaving his body, he couldn’t hold himself up anymore so he sank into the closest chair. “Thank the force. I don’t understand what happened. Seizures shouldn’t be a side effect of tuberculosis.” 

Ventress was nearly vibrating with anger as she spat out “It happened because of  _ this _ !” She held up the bottle he had just gotten from Bant. “Where did you get it?”

“It's a sleeping tonic. To reduce nightmares.” Obi-Wan answered. 

“It made him sick.” Ventress insisted. 

Obi-Wan shook his head, “No, Anakin said he needed it.”

At this Dooku broke in, “are you a medical profession?” He was displeased and looked down his nose at where Obi-Wan was still sprawled on the chair. 

“Well no, but --”

Dooku cut him off. “So you have no idea what is in this tonic and yet you willingly gave it to a very sick patient. With no idea of how it would interact with his other medications.” 

Obi-Wan tried to defend himself, “Anakin insisted he needed it. He had taken it before -- it couldn’t have made him sick.”

“It did.” Dooku said flatly. “This is an opium tincture.”

Ventress crowded Obi-Wan threateningly “you poured this down his throat!”

“I did not! Anakin took it willingly!” Obi-Wan defended. He loved Anakin, he would never force him to do anything. 

“Very ill-advised.” Dooku shook his head. “I did not think people could be so reckless with other people's lives.” 

Obi-Wan jerked upright, flooded with guilt. Ventress continued to loom over him. “Where did you get this?” She shook the bottle for emphasis. 

Obi-Wan watched the blue swirl around and remembered Anakin’s words, he didn’t want the family to know about the remedy. He couldn’t break his brother’s trust, even if he was suffering from so much guilt. Telling them about Bant would only cause more problems. He shook his head and clasped his hands tightly in his lap. 

“You could have killed him!” Ventress nearly screamed. 

“I would never!” He felt like crying again, but he couldn’t show that weakness in front of them. Obi-Wan suddenly realized Jango had moved behind his chair, when he felt Jango’s fingers on the back of his neck. It was a comforting gesture, something small, but all he could offer in front of his mother. Obi-Wan took a breath, and used the strength Jango was offering to keep his mouth shut as he glared at Ventress. 

“Who gave this to you?” Asked Dooku.

Obi-Wan leaned into Jango’s touch, set his jaw and said nothing. 

Ventress jerked forward, “I should slap that disrespectful look right off your face.” She raised her hand, and Obi-Wan braced himself to take the hit. 

“If you could please go check on my grandfather I would be grateful, Dr. Dooku. All the noise today has him a little anxious.” Broke in Pre as he strolled casually into the room with Satine on his arm. 

“Yes, of course.” Said Dr. Dooku. 

Pre looked unconcerned, as he settled Satine on the couch across from Obi-Wan and approached the wet bar to begin pouring some drinks. “You should join him mother,” he looked at Jango, including him in the order without saying anything, “Satine and I wish to speak with Obi-Wan alone.” 

Ventress began to argue, but Satine cut her off “Thank you for understanding.” Her voice was hard, and Jango quickly ducked his head and grabbed his mother’s arm to lead her out of the room. The door shut behind them, the sound echoing in the room for a moment. 

In a mimicry of his first night at Concordia House, Pre poured glasses of that dark wine for all of them before settling on the couch next to Satine. She curled into his side, and he wrapped his arm around her shoulder. She hid her face in his chest for a moment, and Pre kissed her temple and whispered something in her ear. That caused Satine to sit up a bit, but she remained pressed against him. 

“Anakin once told me you were strong willed, dedicated to your ideals. I didn’t quite understand just how strong willed you were until now.” He leaned back, letting his legs fall open in a wide sprawl. “Not like your brother, he is a bit of a weakling.” He looked to Satine, “isn’t he?”

Satine nodded in agreement, “most certainly.”

Obi-Wan could only gasp, his brother had a serious health scare just a few hours ago and they were talking so glibly. “Have some respect.”

Pre’s eyes hardened as Satine spoke. “I think someone else needs to be reminded to show respect. This is our home.”

“I’m sorry.”

“You’re not sorry at all,” Pre shot back. 

“I am sorry!” Obi-Wan said, trying to add even more sincerity to his words. “I just wanted to help Anakin.” 

“You have a funny way of showing it. How dare you constantly upset my husband. He is in a fragile place in his recovery and being around you is setting him back.” Satine accused. 

“What do you mean? He is always glad to have me around, he tells me everyday he is happy to see me.” Obi-Wan answered. 

“You bring strangers to gawk at him, and then you bring him poison.” Pre said. 

“For force’s sake,” Obi-Wan stood up, he didn’t have to listen to this. 

Pre’s hand shot out and grabbed his wrist hard, and yanked him down into their laps. It burned where he touched him, and Obi-Wan tried to wriggle out of their grasp. But Pre’s grip was iron and Satine had brought her arms around his torso, pinning him in place. “Was it Dr. Quin who provided the tincture? Just like he was all too happy to come visit?” Satine asked as she raised her eyebrows lewdly. 

“Don’t touch me,” Obi-Wan ordered. But they didn’t let him go, instead they just smirked at each other and blindly picked up their wine and took long, lingering drinks. 

“My mother is right, you deserve to have some sense slapped into you.” Pre mused. 

Satine grinned sharply and added, “we should teach him a few lessons.” 

Obi-Wan stiffly replied, “if anyone is slapped in this room, I assure you, it won’t be me.”

Satine and Pre both laughed uproariously. They released him, and leaned into each other, clutching hands and Satine rubbed her cheek along Pre’s jaw. 

Obi-Wan immediately used their distraction to retreat to his chair. “You’re mad,” he said rubbing his bruised wrist. 

“Mad with worry,” Satine replied as they both finished their wine. “Do you think you’re the only one who cares about what happens to Anakin?” She raised her eyebrow contemptuously and looked at Pre. 

He continued that thought, “I bet you do. When he wrote home did you think, ‘ah at last we can rescue him from that troublesome family?’ And right now you must be thinking ‘I knew they were bad.’” 

Satine continued seamlessly, “your father certainly wasn’t convinced I was a good bride.” 

Pre followed her point, “if the mine had still been open he would have thought our family was worthy. But no, he thought we were nothing more than fortune hunters. Well, you should remember we are Vizslas, and we have a storied family history.”

Obi-Wan was confused, “I don’t know why you’re bringing this up.”

“Because you assumed we were so inadequate that you had to go and medicate Anakin.” Satine said, “you thought the care I give my husband was so atrocious that you had to sneak behind my back and pour garbage into his mouth. Did you think we wouldn’t notice? That we would be distracted?” 

“We know everything that goes on in this house.” Pre added, his voice was low, dark and dangerous. 

“He asked for this medicine, I told your mother and the doctor already. I didn’t realize this would happen.” Obi-Wan already felt guilty, and having to continue to defend himself was not helping. 

Pre scoffed, “no you didn’t. You act as though you know everything, but you’re just spoiled.”

“You hurt my husband.” Satine looked down, and Pre pulled her close. 

Obi-Wan sunk deeper in his chair. He was already guilty, but the sight of Satine looking so small and vulnerable caused shame to fill his heart. He didn’t want to hurt anyone, but Anakin had been so sure he needed the medication. Had he acted impulsively? Had his desire to support his brother overridden his good sense? He never could say no to Anakin, but it hadn’t ever gone as bad as this. 

Satine and Pre must have noticed his turmoil, or maybe they felt they had gotten their point across. Satine said, with a waiver in her voice, “You almost made me a widow tonight. I don’t feel very gracious or forgiving right now.” 

She did look exhausted, her normally pale complexion was waxen and her blue eyes were bright as if with fever. It made Obi-Wan feel even worse about the whole mess. 

Pre spoke up again, “I must ask you to leave Anakin’s medical care to Dr. Dooku and to never bring him any other tonics or remedies. Is that clear?”

“It is.” Obi-Wan couldn’t bring himself to make eye contact with them. 

“Will you follow this simple directive?” Asked Pre, his voice hard and sure again. 

Obi-Wan grasped his hands tightly, trying to keep them from shaking. “I will.” He felt like a scolded child. 

Pre stood up, pulling Satine with him, and keeping her pressed tightly to his side, his arm reaching around her waist. He leaned forward and studied Obi-Wan’s face, looking for a lie. “Thank you. There are many things you cannot understand Obi-Wan.” 

Satine picked up the thread, “however, let us make it clear that Anakin’s well-being is of the utmost importance to us. You’ve harmed him and in harming him you’ve harmed us as well.” 

Then Pre turned, and practically carried Satine out of the room. Leaving Obi-Wan in the chair, staring at his shaking hands and trying to breath through the guilt that was threatening to swallow him whole. 


	23. Chapter 23

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The letter was written in a shaky hand, but not one he recognized. It said:
> 
> I put these thoughts down on paper because it is the only way to remain firm in my resolve. Tomorrow I may lose courage but these words should anchor me to the here and now. To the present moment. I hear their voices constantly, whispering. They glow at night. Perhaps that might be endurable, this place would be endurable, if not for him. Our lord and master. Our God.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tayliik -- made up mando'a for the word evidence or proof from kar'tayl for knowledge.

Obi-Wan barely slept that night. He was too worried about Anakin, and feeling guilty about what had happened. In the bits of sleep he was able to catch, he could hear what sounded like Arla talking to him, demanding he do something, but she was too far away to hear clearly. He tried to visit Anakin several times during the day, but he was barred from his room each time by Satine or Ventress. Eventually he went looking for Jango, but couldn’t find him anywhere around the house or cemetery. Obi-Wan ate dinner sparingly in his room that night, and had another night of disturbed sleep. 

He woke with a renewed sense of resolve the next day. He was in Mandalore for a mission, and no matter what Pre and Satine had said, things were not great at Concordia House and Anakin was obviously unhappy. If he couldn’t convince Satine to let Anakin leave, he just needed to bring a licensed psychologist to Concordia House. He hated the idea of leaving Anakin alone at Concordia House, but he didn’t have to go all the way back to Coruscant, instead he planned to only go as far as Corellia. Corellia was a big enough area that it should be easy to find a psychologist there. 

This resolve fueled him through breakfast, and helped him convince Satine to let him into Anakin’s room to see him. She eventually agreed, but called the maid to clean the room when she let him in. Obi-Wan grimaced at the chaperone, but didn’t protest. 

Anakin was bundled up in bed, looking haggard and wan. But he gave Obi-Wan a small smile when he came in. Obi-Wan took a seat next to the bed, and took Anakin’s hand from where it rested on the bed. “Oh dear, I’m so sorry. How are you feeling?”

Anakin gave his hand a slight squeeze, “I’ll be ok. I’m just tired.” He looked at the maid then lowered his voice. “You have nothing to apologize for. Honestly, it just helps having you here.” 

Obi-Wan felt the tight knot of guilt he had been carrying relax slightly. “You know I’ll always help you as much as I can. In fact, I’m planning to go to Corellia soon to find you a psychologist.”

Anakin’s eyes opened wide in fear, he looked terrified. “You don’t need to do that! Dr. Dooku is taking good care of me.” He was pleading with Obi-Wan and clutching his hand tightly. 

Obi-Wan tried to placate his brother. “I’ll think about it. Don’t worry about me. Would you like me to read to you?”

Anakin nodded in relief, he was already looking half asleep on the pillow. Obi-Wan read him some poems from a book on his nightstand, as he drifted off to sleep. As soon as Anakin fell asleep, Satine returned and politely, but firmly shooed him out of the room. 

Jango was waiting for him in the hallway. He gave Obi-Wan a small smile and asked “come for a walk with me?” 

Obi-Wan nodded and they silently walked outside. Jango led him around the cemetery, and after a few minutes he finally said in mando’a “are you alright?”

“I will be. Yesterday was rough, but Anakin seemed to be recovering when I saw him today.” Answered Obi-Wan. 

“Did everything go alright with Pre and Satine?” Jango asked, his voice full of concern. 

“They were mad at me, rightly so. I have been wondering if I’ve just been terribly naive. I had just decided to go to Corellia for a psychiatrist, but when I mentioned it to Anakin he was against me bringing anyone else here. Maybe I should wait until he is recovered enough to travel with me instead of bringing other doctors and strange remedies to him.” Answered Obi-Wan. 

Jango looked conflicted, then he pulled a small book out of his pocket and handed it to Obi-Wan. “Here, you should read this. And you should trust that Anakin knows more about his health than Satine wants you to believe. You should go home.” 

Obi-Wan took the book and tucked it away. “We’ve talked about this already, I won’t be going home until Anakin is well. But, thank you for the support. it meant a lot to me, especially since I know it is hard to stand up to your mother.”

A blush stood out on Jango’s cheeks as he looked embarrassed. “They did not react well, but you didn’t deserve that.” 

They walked for a bit longer before turning back to the house for lunchtime. Back in his room, Obi-Wan pulled out the book to flip through it as he tried to take his mind off the soup. It was a small mando’a dictionary, which despite being somewhat handy seemed like an odd choice from Jango. He was about to put it away when he noticed a small piece of paper folded up and hidden among the pages. 

It was old and yellowed, and crackled alarming when he handled it. Written on the outside, in a neat hand was the word _tayliik_. The letter was written in a shaky hand, but not one he recognized. It said:

_ I put these thoughts down on paper because it is the only way to remain firm in my resolve. Tomorrow I may lose courage but these words should anchor me to the here and now. To the present moment. I hear their voices constantly, whispering. They glow at night. Perhaps that might be endurable, this place would be endurable, if not for him. Our lord and master. Our God. An egg, split asunder, and a mighty serpent rising from it, expanding wide its jaws. Our great legacy, spun in cartilage and blood and roots so very deep. Gods cannot die. That is what we have been told, what Sister believes. But Sister cannot protect me, cannot save any of us. It is up to me. Whether this is sacrilege or simple murder, or both. He beat me when he found out about Depa but I swore there and then that I would never bear a child nor do his will. I believe firmly this death will be no sin. It is a release and my salvation. A.  _

It was similar to Anakin’s first letter, the letter that had brought him here; and it spoke of voices in the wall. Voices he had also heard. The signatory had only written A, but who else could it be but Arla. How had Jango found this? As a young boy looking for clues in his aunt’s belongings after her death? Or had his father given it to him before his death? Had it been hidden somewhere and Jango retrieved it after his arrival had thrown the house into chaos? Regardless, he obviously thought it was proof enough for Obi-Wan to figure out what was happening here. 

Obi-Wan stared at the letter as he thought. This was the third mention of an outsider in the house encountering something here. First Arla, then Anakin and finally Obi-Wan’s own unsettling dreams and sleep walking. Did that prove there were ghosts? Or did it simply prove that staying in Concordia House caused nervous breakdowns? But no, he knew himself and he was not having a breakdown. 

He stood and started pacing as he tried to connect all of his experiences, what he’d heard from Anakin, this letter and what he’d been told about the history of the house. After ten minutes he hadn’t come to any conclusions, but he knew he needed to talk to someone about it before jumping to conclusions. 

Obi-Wan left his room, and knocked on Jango’s door. Despite how they’d grown coser during his time at Concordia House, he hadn’t ever been in Jango’s private rooms. After just a moment, Jango answered the door, he looked rumpled as if he had been taking a nap. Obi-Wan suddenly remembered that Jango often sat up with his grandfather at night, and felt guilty for interrupting his sleep. But, he needed some answers. “Can I come in? I need to talk to you.” He asked. 

Jango looked around, and when he realized Obi-Wan was the only one in sight he nodded and ushered him. His room had a similar layout to Obi-Wans, but his walls were entirely covered in art. Drawings and pressings were the most common, scientific drawings of mushrooms and insects -- sketches of nature and even pressings of mushrooms. There were watercolors of the sky, and charcoal sketches of the woods. It was beautiful. “Oh, this is what you meant about mushrooms being a hobby of yours. You’re an artist.” 

Jango blushed at the words, “yes, I draw.” He looked embarrassed to have someone looking at his artwork. “Come, let's sit.” He drew Obi-Wan to the small sitting area. Next to the chair were many, many watercolors of different mushrooms in stages of growth and different lighting conditions. 

“These are beautiful.” Obi-Wan observed. 

“If you say so.” Jango blushed some more, unused to compliments. He looked so beautiful among his artwork, and vulnerable from his nap. “You didn’t come to ask about my drawings though.”

_ Oh right.  _ Obi-Wan though,  _ I need to focus.  _ He cleared his throat. “Do you think your house is haunted?”

Jango frowned and looked to the side. “There is no such thing as ghosts.”

“But what if there were? Isn’t that what you were implying with the _ tayliik _ ? Or is there a logical reason for the ‘haunting’? Like how old hatters went crazy because they worked with mercury vapors and everyone thought it was just a hazard of the occupation.”

Jango leaned forward suddenly, and grabbed his hands -- tightly, so tightly. “Don’t speak another word.” His voice was low, and he was speaking mando’a. “Just because there are no ghosts doesn’t mean you aren't haunted; and you should fear the haunting. You’re too fearless. My father didn’t fear it and he paid for it.” 

Obi-Wan was taken back by the intensity in Jango’s voice. He sounded desperate, but hadn’t he wanted Obi-Wan to put the pieces together when he gave him the letter? “What do you mean?”

Jango looked frustrated at the question. “I mean that if you don’t leave soon, you’ll be unable to go. You should go get the psychiatrist. Bring back a different expert to see Anakin.” 

Obi-Wan nodded slowly, he wasn’t sure what was causing Jango’s intensity, but he did like the idea of following his plan from the morning. “Alight, calm down. I’ll leave tomorrow for Corellia.” 

Jango finally dropped his hands, and relaxed again. “Good.” Before he could say anything else, a loud wailing interrupted him. Jango frowned, then started to get up. “That’s grandfather Tor. He won’t last much longer. You need to start packing, and I have to go tend to him.” 

He looked so dejected at the idea of going to his grandfather that Obi-Wan couldn’t help but offer to stay. “We could just stay here? Let your mother deal with him?”

Jango shook his head, “no she’ll be by to get me any minute. She’ll be furious if she finds you here.” Despite his words, Jango made no movement towards the door. He scrubbed his hands over his face and muttered, “Arla had the right idea. I wish she had finished the job and killed him.”

It was a horrible thing to hear, and Obi-Wan could only make a sound of protest before Jango kept going. 

“Tor is a monster and you shouldn’t trust him! Don’t trust Pre or Satine or Ventress either! No one in this house is trustworthy!” His voice had gotten louder and louder and hands were shaking, as he pulled Obi-Wan into a tight hug. “Please,” his voice broke, “please just save yourself and go to Corellia.” 

Obi-Wan rubbed his hands along Jango’s back to sooth him. “I will, don’t worry. I’ll leave tomorrow.” At the reassurance, Jango turned his face into Obi-Wan’s neck and took a couple of steadying breaths before he let go and hurried him out of the room. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tayliik -- made up mando'a for the word evidence or proof from kar'tayl for knowledge.


	24. Chapter 24

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jango caught his eye and opened his mouth to whisper something when Pre interrupted him. “We’ll venture upstairs after dinner, of course.” 
> 
> “I’m sorry, we will?” Obi-Wan asked as he switched his focus to Pre. 
> 
> “Of course, grandfather expects us all to pay him a visit after dinner. He wants to say his goodbyes to you. You wouldn’t upset an old man would you?” Pre asked.
> 
> Obi-Wan felt a flash of dread, but answered “I wouldn’t dream of leaving without saying goodbye.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the delay, this chapter was -- difficult to get right.

Obi-Wan returned to his room, and started packing. He hadn’t unpacked much, never comfortable spreading out or making himself at home. It only took a half hour, even though he took the time to refold all his clothes and adjust them in the suitcases. After packing, he decided to try and rest. He took a short rest, but was awoken by a knock on his door before long. He brushed his hair down, and went to see who was there. 

Ventress stood in the hall with an impressive scowl on her face. “I see you’re packing, are you planning to leave soon?” She asked briskly.

“Good afternoon Ventress. Yes, I was planning to leave for Corellia tomorrow. I hoped I could find a psychiatrist there to come back and visit Anakin.” 

Ventress’s scowl got deeper when he mentioned the psychiatrist. “Fine. We will have a formal dinner tonight to send you on your way. Don’t be late.” 

Obi-Wan repressed a scowl of his own, he had hoped to leave quietly -- another family dinner sounded like torture, but he could suffer through anything for his brother. “As you wish.” He gave a curt nod and closed his door. 

It was annoying to have to unpack a suitable outfit for dinner, but he figured he could repack it quickly enough. He pulled out his vape, and gave it a moment of consideration before he decided  _ fuck it, if I have to go to dinner then I’m going to vape inside. Plus it’ll make me less cranky, I probably shouldn’t make a scene before leaving, I want them to let me back in when I arrive with the psychiatrist.  _ He felt decidedly less vindictive after several drags on the vape. The shadowpaw did a good job of mellowing him out. 

It was time for dinner before he was ready, but he steeled himself and headed to dinner. Jango wasn’t in the hall again, which was disappointing, but Obi-Wan was still a bit off kilter from their earlier conversation and wasn’t sure what he’d say to Jango if he was here. 

The dining room was the same as every other time he had been down. Dark and foreboding, but it felt like the velvet curtains were pressing in closer than before. He took his seat, and wasn’t surprised to see Ventress arrive in a dramatic swirl of her skirt. Pre arrived before too long with Bo Katan on his arm, and then Satine arrived with a lily from her garden. She swept over to Obi-Wan and said “for you, to remember us when you leave.” As she pinned the lily to his lapel. Obi-Wan blushed a bit, no one had given him flowers in ages. He blushed even more when he saw Jango arrive, quietly, and looking at Satine touch him with resignation in his eyes. 

Maul served a mediocre dinner with plenty of wine, and Obi-Wan followed the pattern he’d established -- eating just enough to avoid being rude while drinking several glasses of wine. He was getting a headache though, and the wine tasted different today -- sweeter, and it lingered on his palate longer. At least he wasn’t expected to talk to anyone, he didn’t know if he had it in him to be cordial for much longer. At least dinner was practically over. 

He risked a look at Jango, he looked positively miserable -- especially compared to the rest of the family who were in high spirits. Jango caught his eye and opened his mouth to whisper something when Pre interrupted him. “We’ll venture upstairs after dinner, of course.” 

“I’m sorry, we will?” Obi-Wan asked as he switched his focus to Pre. 

“Of course, grandfather expects us all to pay him a visit after dinner. He wants to say his goodbyes to you. You wouldn’t upset an old man would you?” Pre asked.

Obi-Wan felt a flash of dread, but answered “I wouldn’t dream of leaving without saying goodbye.” 

Pre smirked in triumph and Jango looked sick to his stomach. Maul returned to clear the dinner dishes and brought dessert when Ventress spoke for the first time that evening, “you might have some difficulty getting to town tomorrow. It is supposed to storm, I expect things will flood again and the roads will be terrible.” 

“Flood again? Is that how you lost the mine?” Asked Obi-Wan.

“Ages ago,” Ventress said with a nonchalant hand wave. “It was waterlogged, then we had a difficult time getting enough workers and of course my father was ill and unable to oversee the work. Of course, that’ll change soon.” 

“How so?” Asked Obi-Wan, thinking about Anakin’s inheritance and if this was how they were going to spend it, on an old mine while he wasted away locked in the house. 

Satine answered, “Anakin hasn’t mentioned? We plan to reopen the mine. He’s decided to invest in it.”

Obi-Wan fought to keep the frown off his face. “No, he never mentioned and neither did you.”

“It must have slipped our minds.” Pre offered casually, but Obi-Wan knew this topic was anything but casual. They had deliberately avoided the topic until right before he left. They wanted to rile him up, and Pre wanted to gloat; because he was leaving, and a little gloating couldn’t hurt now. 

He tried to remain tactful, “is it wise to do such a thing while Anakin is so ill?”

Satine took up the conversation with a bored look on her face, “it's not as if it’ll make him worse.” 

“I think it’s callous, and bad optics.” Obi-Wan had meant to stay diplomatic, but the image of the family using Anakin for his money made him furious. 

“We’ve long been simply existing at Concordia House, Obi-Wan. Too long. It is now time to grow again.” Satine said. 

Pre continued with barely a pause, “The plant must find the light, and we must find our way in this world. You may think it callous, I find it natural.”

Obi-Wan couldn’t listen to another word of this. He stood up, “I’m tired, maybe I should say good night to Tor now.”

Pre raised an eyebrow at him, and said “I suppose we could skip dessert.”

Jango spoke up for the first time that evening. “Pre, it’s much too early.” Ventress, Pre and Satine all leveled stern glares at him, as if he had been saying offensive things all night. Obi-Wan guessed he wasn’t supposed to offer any opinions. 

“I’d say it's the right time.” Pre replied.

The whole family stood up on cue, with Jango a half beat behind. Ventress took the lead through the cold, dark house. Obi-Wan fervently hoped Tor wouldn’t want to speak long. He wanted nothing more than to go to bed so he could wake up and jump in the speeder and leave the house behind him. 

Ventress opened the door to Tor’s room, and the entire family filed in. A fire was burning and the old, musty curtains around the bed were closed tight. There was an ugly smell in the air. Too pungent. Like a ripe fruit. Obi-Wan couldn’t stop the frown this time. 

“Father, we are here with your visitor.” Said Ventress, she then began pulling the curtains away from the bed. Obi-Wan expected to see Tor in his night clothes, bundled in bed, or leaning against the pillows. 

He was not prepared for what he saw. Tor was stretched out naked on the bed. He was emaciated, and grotesquely wrinkled. His flesh was so pale, with deep blue veins running up and down his body. One leg was hideously bloated, crusted over with dozens of large, dark boils. 

The boils looked like nothing he’d seen before. Certainly not the tumors he’d expected. They pulsed quickly, and their fullness contrasted with his emaciated body, the skin grown taut against the bones except upon that leg. 

It was a horrid, horrid sight. He looked like a corpse, half decomposed, but he lived. His chest rose and fell with each breath. 

While Obi-Wan had been staring at the body in horror, Pre and Satine had come up on his sides, and gripped his arms tightly. Pre whispered in his ear, “you must get closer.” 

Obi-Wan had been frozen, but the feeling of their hands on him and Pre’s voice in his ear woke him up. He tried to pull away and make a break for the door, but they had such a tight grip on him that he couldn’t get free. It felt like they were holding him tight enough to snap bones, and Pre happily jerked his shoulder tight when he fought them. It felt like his arm was being wrenched out of his shoulder. 

Obi-Wan screamed “let go of me!” 

No matter how he jerked and kicked, Satine and Pre dragged him closer to the bed. He should have been able to get free, but his head was still pounding and the wine was making him dizzy. He didn’t think he’d drunk enough to get a buzz, but now he felt off balance, and just slow enough that he couldn’t get free. 

“Kneel!” Pre ordered. 

Obi-Wan thrashed as he gasped out “No.”

Pre’s hand dug into his neck painfully, forcing him down. Pre pulled him back by his hair, baring his throat. 

Tor turned his head on the pillow and looked at him. His lips were as bloated as his leg, crusted with the same black growths. A trail of dark fluid dripped down his chin, staining his sheets. The smell was worse, it was coming from him. Obi-Wan felt his stomach turn over painfully, the stench was so strong he thought he would throw up. 

“Oh force.” Obi-Wan tried to pull away, to get up, to escape. But Pre’s hand was a vice around his neck, and Satine’s nails were gouging deep into his arms as they pushed him even closer to the old man. 

Tor was rising in anticipation, he stretched out one thin hand and grabbed Obi-Wan’s chin and pulled their faces together. From this close, Obi-Wan could see a golden sheen in his eyes. 

Tor smiled at him, showing off black stained and cracked teeth -- then he pressed his lips to Obi-Wan’s lips. He could feel Tor’s tongue in his mouth wriggling followed by the burn of his saliva. He tried to pull away, but Tor held his mouth open from his grip on his chin, and Pre held his head steady. 

Tor pulled away after a long, agonizing minute, and Obi-Wan could only gasp and turn his head to the side. 

He closed his eyes.

He felt so light; his thoughts were scattered. Drowsy.  _ Oh force, oh force, stand up, run  _ he told himself. Over and over again. But he couldn’t find the strength. 

He couldn’t focus, but eventually he pried his eyes open and looked around. He was in a cave, there were people there. A man had been handed a cup, and he was drinking from it. The hideous black liquid burned his mouth, and he almost passed out. But the others laughed and clasped his shoulder in a friendly manner.  _ They hadn’t been so friendly when he’d first arrived, they were skittish of strangers. For good reason.  _

The man looked like Tor, and Pre and Satine. The eyes, the set of the chin. But his clothes looked old. This was many, many years ago.  _ When is this?  _ Obi-Wan thought. But he was dizzy, and distracted by the sound of the sea. Were they near the ocean? The cave was so dark, only one lantern. 

The man stumbled as he got up. He wasn’t doing well, he’d been ill when he arrived. His doctor said there was no cure. But Vizsla had hoped. 

_ Vizsla.  _ That was him, yes. He was with Vizsla. 

_ Vizsla was dying and in his desperation he’d come to this cave. Seeking a remedy for those who were beyond remedies. He’d come to a dark cave, not a holy site. _

_ The tribe had been wary, but he had plenty of silver and they were poor.  _

In the corner of his eye, Obi-Wan saw a woman. She was dirty, her face plain and she looked at Vizsla with interest. There was a priest too, an old man at the altar of their god. It was a holy site, unlike any he’d seen before. Instead of candles there was glowing fungus hanging from the walls. On the altar was a bowl and cup and old bones. 

Obi-Wan rubbed his head, the headache from before was building into a terrible migraine. His vision wavered, but he tried to focus on Vizsla. 

Vizsla, had been worn by disease before he drank, but now he turned and he looked so hearty -- he looked like a new man. Instead of returning home, he stayed. He married that woman, Obi-Wan could feel his disgust for her, but he hid it behind polite smiles and soft caresses. 

_ Vizsla needed them, needed to marry into the tribe to be accepted. Only then would he learn their secrets. Eternal life! It was his for the taking. The fools didn’t understand it, they used the fungus to heal their wounds, but it could be so much more. He’d seen the evidence, there were such possibilities! _

_ The woman, she wouldn’t do. But, back home Vizsla had two cousins awaiting his return. It was in the blood, in his blood, the priest had said. And if it could be in his blood, it could be in their blood.  _

Obi-Wan’s vision blurred, the migraine was growing worse. 

_ Vizsla, he was sharp. Always had been, even when his body had failed him, his mind remained sharp. Now his body was alive, vital and thrumming with eagerness.  _

_ The priest recognized his strength, whispered that he might be the future of their congregation. That a man like him was necessary. The priest was old, and he feared for the future, for his little flock in the cave, for these timid folk. The world was changing, and they’d survived till now, but could they in the future? _

_ The holy man was right. Too right, perhaps. For Vizsla indeed envisioned a deep change. It was so easy to kill the priest, fill his lungs with water, weigh him down.  _

_ And then it was chaos and violence and smoke. Fire, fire, burning. The cave was supposed to be a sanctuary, but Vizsla was in charge now. He forced them to watch as he burned their possessions and put the woman in a boat. Took the fungus with him, and left the tribe in the cave with nothing. The cave was full of smoke.  _

Then Obi-Wan was with someone else, a woman with her long fair hair as she spoke to her sister. “He has changed. Don’t you see it? His eyes aren’t the same.”

The sister shook her head. He had gone on a long voyage and now wouldn’t let them ask their questions. The first woman thought an evil had possessed him. But the second sister knew this had always been him, under the skin. 

_ I feared evil long ago. I feared him.  _

Obi-Wan looked down at his hands, and saw pustules erupt from above the bracelet he’d been given. Tendrils rose from the pustules and his entire body sprouted. Fleshy, white, fan-shaped caps sliced through his marrow and his muscle, and when he opened his mouth liquid poured up, gold and black, like a river that stained the floor. 

A hand was on his shoulder and a whisper in his ear. 

“Open your eyes,” said Obi-Wan reflexively, like the woman had said so many times to him. His mouth was full of blood and he spat out his own teeth. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Posting the next few chapters might be erratic around Thanksgiving, but I will finish it before the end of the month. Happy Thanksgiving to all who celebrate it. And, whoops about the cliffhanger?


	25. Chapter 25

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “What did you do to me?” Obi-Wan asked weakly. He couldn’t keep a waiver out his voice. He had trusted Jango, and to realize he had conspired with the family to hurt him was heartbreaking. That asshole. 
> 
> Jango looked so sad, as he looked away -- not meeting Obi-Wan’s teary gaze. “I’m sorry. I didn’t realize they would try to keep you. I thought you still had time to leave.”
> 
> “Jango, what did you do?” Obi-Wan pressed. 
> 
> Jango sighed, “I’m supposed to explain it to you.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I felt so guilty about the cliff hanger --- here is the next chapter.
> 
> Warnings for mentions of suicide, between the ****** and ****** see the end note for a brief description.

He was hunched over a toilet, puking his guts out. He could feel a warm hand rubbing his back, soothing him. He was shuddering as he watched black and gold fill the toilet bowl. Another hand reached over and flushed the mess away, as he retched a few more times. He could feel tears and snot running down his face, and he could feel the burn of the vomit from the back of his throat and even in his nose. He couldn’t stop shaking. His stomach rebelled a few more times, but all that came up was bile. The dry heaves were even more painful than the vomit had been, as his stomach tried desperately to purge everything he had ever eaten. 

Eventually the heaving stopped, but he kept shaking. The warm hands slowly set him up, and brought a damp cloth to wipe his face off. He shuddered and leaned into the touch. The hands supported him to standing, and supported him as he stumbled towards a bed. He fell heavily into bed, and the hands soothed his brow and wiped sweaty hair out of his eyes.

He cracked his eyes open, and saw yellow wallpaper and a concerned looking face. He tried to place it.  _ Oh.  _ His name was Obi-Wan Kenobi, he had been Vizsla, but now he was just Obi-Wan. Jango was caring for him and he was at Concordia House. Obi-Wan couldn’t hold back a groan as he realized he ached all over.  _ Why was he so sore?  _ Then suddenly, he remembered. Pre and Satine had held him down --- and he must have strained himself trying to escape -- and they let Tor, that half corpse, do something to him. 

Jango hadn’t helped them hold him down, but he hadn’t stopped them either. He jerked away from Jango’s hands. “Don’t touch me!” he cried as he tried to move away. His voice was hoarse from screaming and sore from throwing up. He was too weak to do more than shift a bit in the bed. 

“Shhh, shhhh take it easy.” Jango soothed as he held his hands up and away from Obi-Wan. He kept his hands in sight as he tried to calm Obi-Wan down. “You need to rest. That was very tiring, and rest is the best thing for you.” 

“What did you do to me?” Obi-Wan asked weakly. He couldn’t keep a waiver out his voice. He had trusted Jango, and to realize he had conspired with the family to hurt him was heartbreaking.  _ That asshole.  _

Jango looked so sad, as he looked away -- not meeting Obi-Wan’s teary gaze. “I’m sorry. I didn’t realize they would try to keep you. I thought you still had time to leave.”

“Jango, what did you do?” Obi-Wan pressed. 

Jango sighed, “I’m supposed to explain it to you.” 

“How on earth would you explain that?? Tor… he…. You…  _ how _ ?” Obi-Wan asked. 

“Let me tell you the whole story, and then you can ask questions ok?” Jango said. 

Obi-Wan didn’t feel like talking, especially not to Jango, so he nodded. He was so angry at Jango, but he needed an explanation if he was going to make any plans, and he was so tired and so sick. So, best to let Jango talk. 

“I guess it's pretty obvious that our family, and this house isn’t normal. A long time ago, Pre found a fungus which can extend human life, cure diseases and keep people healthy.”

Obi-Wan couldn’t help muttering under his breath, “I saw that. I saw him.”

“You did?” Jango asked, surprised. “I suppose you entered the gloom. How deep have you gone into it”

Obi-Wan could only stare at him and shake his head. Jango wasn’t making any sense.

“It's the fungus. It runs throughout the house, in the walls and the floors, all the way to the cemetery and back. It used to be throughout the mines too -- before they flooded. It creates a network -- almost a spiderweb. The web can collect and preserve memories and thoughts, like a fly caught in a real spider’s web. We call that repository of our thoughts, of our past, of our history, the gloom.” Jango explained, he looked clinical, but interested. 

“How can that be possible?” asked Obi-Wan. 

“Fungi can enter into symbiotic relationships with hosts plants. Well, it turns out that some special fungus can build a symbiotic relationship with specific humans.” Jango looked almost like a professor lecturing on a favorite topic -- he had said mycology was one of his hobbies. 

Obi-Wan was trying to understand. “So you have access to some type of ancestral memories because of a fungus Tor found?”

“Yes. Only most of them are faint echoes instead of full memories. Often they’re all jumbled too, it can be easy to get lost if you go too deep in the gloom.”

Obi-Wan looked to the corner of his room that had black mold growing in it. “Are you saying that the weird dreams I’ve been having are a byproduct of the fungus in the house?”

“Basically, yes.” Answered Jango. 

Obi-Wan’s headache was returning. “But why? Why would it give me visions?”

Jango shrugged, “it probably wasn’t intentional. I guess it's in its nature to share.”

Every single thing he had seen or dreamed of, was fucking terrifying. What kind of thing would have that terrifying nature? A nightmare. A living nightmare made up of sins and malevolent secrets. “Then, that means I was right about your house being haunted and I was right about there being a rational explanation behind it.” Jango nodded, and Obi-Wan continued “so Anakin isn’t insane either. He’s been interacting with the gloom.”

Jango breathed out a simple “yeah.” 

“What did Tor do to me?” Obi-Wan couldn’t help asking again. 

“The fungus lives in the house, so by staying here you’ve been slowly breathing it in. It was slowly starting to affect you, but it's possible to accelerate its effect by coming into contact with it in other ways.” Jango was avoiding the question. 

“What  _ did  _ he  _ do  _ to me?” Obi-Wan repeated, he tried to put more steel in his voice. 

“Most people who come into contact with the fungus die. Only some people are compatible to bond with it. That’s what killed the miners. Those who are resistant to it, if they don’t die it can still affect their mind.” Jango explained. 

“Like Anakin?”

“Sometimes better and sometimes worse than Anakin. It can burn away a person’s sense of self. You’ve noticed our servants, they don’t talk much. They’ve served here too long, and there isn’t much of them left. It's like a lobotomy.” 

“That can’t be possible.” Obi-Wan protested. 

Jango shook his head. “It’s like an alcoholic. It affects their brain and rewires it.” 

Obi-Wan was horrified. “Are you saying that is going to happen to Anakin? And to me?”

“No!” Jango looked concerned. “No, not at all. They’re a special case, Grandfather Tor calls them his bondservants, and he called the miners his mulch. But you can have a symbiotic relationship with the fungus, like the family does.” 

That did not calm Obi-Wan down at all. “What  _ will _ happen to me?” 

Jango looked away again, he was fidgeting, tapping on his knee nervously. “The gloom is only part of it. The bloodline is the other important part, I mentioned that only certain people can bond with the fungus. Those that do bond with are special. We’re special. It can even give the family immortality. Tor has lived many different lives, in many different bodies. When one of his bodies dies, he transfers his consciousness to the gloom and then from the gloom he can live again, in the body of one of his children.” 

Obi-Wan flinched away again. “Does he possess them?” 

Jango’s jaw tightened. “No… he becomes… they become him… they become someone new. Only the children, it goes down the bloodline. And for generations the bloodline has been isolated, to ensure we can all bond with the fungus. No outsiders.” 

“Tor married his cousins. And he wanted his children to marry his brother's children. Oh force. Who were Bo Katan’s parents?” Obi-Wan was horrified. 

Jango grimaced and looked even more uncomfortable. “Bo Katan is Satine’s older sister, so another cousin.”

No wonder they all looked alike. He blanched, “how far back? How old is he? How many generations?” 

“I don’t know.” Jango shook his head, “at least 500 years, maybe more. He’s kept the Vizsla name, but from the gloom I think his name was originally Plagueis.”

“Five hundred years!? Marrying his own kin, having children with them, then transferring his mind into one of their bodies. Over and over again. And all of you? Just allow this?” Obi-Wan was shaking again. 

“We have no choice. He is our god.”

Obi-Wan couldn’t help a hoarse shout, “you have a fucking choice! And that sick fuck is not a god!!” 

Jango had gone pale, he looked tired. “He is to us. And he wants you to be part of our family.”

“So, that’s what he did to me. Poured the black sludge down my throat to capture me.” Obi-Wan said bitterly.

“They were afraid you were going to leave. They couldn’t let you do that. Now you won’t be able to go anywhere.” Jango said quietly. 

Obi-Wan shook his head, “you were the one to convince me to leave Jango Fett!” 

“I’m so sorry. I thought you had time. I didn’t realize Tor was so taken with you.” Jango pleaded.

“I’m not going to joining your fucking family Jango. Believe me, I’m going to go home and I’m going to ---” 

Jango cut him off, “It won’t let you. My father, well I haven’t told you much about him. The family was having fertility issues, and Tor decided they needed to add some outside blood. He picked two orphans from the city, he could tell they were compatible, and moved them up here to join the family. It worked, Jaster got Ventress pregnant and I came along. But Arla could feel it taking over mind, could tell it was changing her so she tried to kill everyone and escape the gloom. She hurt Tor bad, no normal man would have survived after the wound she gave him. But he survived. His grip, his power decreased and that’s how we lost all our miners. 

*****

“My dad was heartbroken when his sister died. He also could feel the gloom and the power taking him over, and destroying his free will. He stuck around long enough for me to pass my verd’goten. Then, he tried to leave. He never made it very far, but one day he made it far enough to throw himself down a ravine. 

******

“If you fight it, it hurts. It hurts bad.” Jango warned. “But if you obey, if you bond with it, if you join our family it will be fine.”

“Anakin fights, doesn't he?” asked Obi-Wan, his head was pounding again. 

“Yes, but also he isn’t as compatible as you. Satine needed a husband, and we still needed new blood in the family. Pre and Bo Katan have been trying for years before Korkie came along. She could tell Anakin would be compatible, so she chose him. But then you came, and it's so obvious that you’re even more suitable. I guess they’re hoping you’ll be more understanding.” 

Obi-Wan recoiled, “they think I’ll happily join the family, and do what? Give them children? Act as a stud?” 

Jango hung his head in shame. “Yes.” 

“You’re all nothing but demagolka.” Obi-Wan spat at him. “I trusted you! I thought we had something!”

“I’m so sorry.” Jango said, he covered his face with his hands and took several shuddering breaths. “You don’t understand, I  _ can’t  _ go against Tor.” 

“Sorry! You’re sorry?!” Obi-Wan was furious, “you’re nothing but a fucking bastard. I don’t want to see you ever again!!” 

“I didn’t want this. I wanted you to leave and be happy. Far away from here.” 

“Then help me leave!”

“I can’t.” Jango looked torn. 

“Then get the hell out of my room you hut'uun.” Obi-Wan said, he grabbed a book off his night stand and threw it at Jango. It wasn’t the best throw, he still felt so weak, but it still smacked him in the face. Slicing his nose open. 

Jango put his hands up, “I deserved that. You should rest. I’ll think of a solution, but you need to rest.” 

Obi-Wan snarled “go to hell.” Then he rolled over and closed his eyes, ignoring Jango. 

He barely heard the door close as he fell into an exhausted sleep. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Obi-Wan is having a no good, very bad day. 
> 
> ***** Jaster could feel the gloom taking over his mind. He tried unsuccessfully to fight it, and eventually committed suicide after Jango completed his verd’goten.******
> 
> Demagolka - someone who commits atrocities, a real-life monster, a war criminal - from the notorious Mandalorian scientist of the Old Republic, Demagol, known for his experiments on children, and a figure of hate and dread in the Mando psyche  
> Hut'uun - coward, worst mandalorian insult.


	26. Chapter 26

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Then Jango pulled out the blue bottle from Bant.
> 
> “How did you get that? I thought Ventress got rid of it.”
> 
> “I stole it from her rooms. It interferes with the fungus. If you take it slowly, it can disrupt the fungus’s hold over you.” Jango held it out to him. “I told you I’d think of something, and I have a plan.” 
> 
> Obi-Wan took the tincture, and felt the beginnings of hope in his chest. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There is a brief mention of cannibalism between ***** and *****, see endnotes for a description.

Obi-Wan was in the gloom. Now that he had a word to describe it, he could sense it and understand what was happening. It didn’t make it any less terrifying, to know there was something malevolent controlling his thoughts and showing him things. 

He was the woman, the woman Vizsla had taken from the cave, and he was being dragged down to a stone altar by two women. The cousins, he had been the younger of them before. Now, he was listless, drugged, unable to resist. Vizsla was watching, a gleam in his eye and dressed in rich velvet robes. Vizsla pulled out a knife, and cut something off of the woman. Obi-Wan could feel the sharp pain, could feel the blood welling up but he couldn’t cry out. 

*******

Vizsla held up some of the woman’s flesh, and took a big bite. Blood dripping down his chin. He held the flesh out to his cousins, and coaxed them to open their mouths, and eat. Obi-Wan could see his blood staining their teeth red in a mockery of communion. In the cave, this had happened before. But always with an old and willing priest, giving his congregation one last gift before he passed away. Flesh must be consumed to give the fungus a root in the body. 

******

After, they covered his mouth with a cloth. He had seen this before, in the graveyard. But instead of killing him, they wrapped the woman in a cloth and threw her into an open pit. Obi-Wan watched from inside Vizsla as they covered the woman’s body with dirt, he knew she was still alive -- had to be alive for the fungus to take root. Obi-Wan watched as time sped up, as the mushrooms sprouted from the grave and took hold. Spreading throughout the new cave, spreading in the new soil and into a house. A house so similar to Concordia House, but older. 

Then, he was back in his room, and Tor was sitting in the corner. He was drinking wine, his amber ring flashing as he lifted the glass. “Hello dear one. Welcome to the family, would you like a dink?”

Obi-Wan was furious, “absolutely not. I would like to take Anakin with me and leave.”

Tor just chuckled, “I can make you join me if you’d prefer to do this the hard way.” He poured a second glass and gestured at Obi-Wan to come hither. 

Without a thought, Obi-Wan stood up and took a step. He froze in fear, trying desperately to make his body obey him. He was able to still for a moment before Tor sighed and pulled Obi-Wan to him. 

Obi-Wan recoiled as his body refused his commands. As he reached for the wine glass he was able to wrest back control and dash the wine in Tor’s face. That broke his concentration enough for Obi-Wan to wrap his hands around his neck and squeeze. “I’m going to wake up and I’m going to kill you!” Obi-Wan threatened. 

Tor’s face turned purple, then suddenly it was Pre he was attacking. Pre gurgled and grabbed his wrists before winking and shifting. Now he had his hands around Jango’s throat -- he was angry at Jango, but he didn’t want to kill him. Obi-Wan tried to let go, but his body wasn’t his own again and couldn’t stop as he squeezed and squeezed. He watched Jango jerk and gasp, he watched the life fade from his eyes. As soon as he was dead, Jango’s body burst into bloom with fungus pushing through his skin. The fungus twined around Obi-Wan’s still locked hands, caressing him as it spread to his body and once again consumed him. 

All he could hear was Tor’s echoing voice “ **You’re ours, like it not. You’re ours and you’re us** .” 

He tried to pull the fungus away, to shake it off him, but it clung. It became a big snake, wrapped around his body, mouth open ready to eat him whole. But he heard that voice again, Arla’s voice, “Open your eyes.”

Obi-Wan opened his eyes, he was still in bed. He could hear the hissing of the snake as it faded away,  _ I must remember  _ he thought,  _ I must remember to open my eyes.  _

It was day, he could see the weak light streaming in the windows. He didn’t know how long he had slept, he didn’t know how long he had been unwell before he returned to himself after vomiting. How long had he been in the house since Tor had poured his poison down his throat? Obi-Wan shook his head, it didn’t matter. He needed to leave. He got up, throwing on the closest clothes -- which, when had he put on his pajamas? It didn’t matter, he needed to leave. 

His door was unlocked, so he silently slipped into the hall. He wanted to run, to bolt, but he needed to keep quiet. Obi-Wan focused on moving as quickly as he could, thinking about how difficult it would be to hot wire the speeder. If he could just get on the road, he’d run all the way to the train station if needed. 

Finally, he was at the door. He was free, Obi-Wan took off running. He jumped headlong into the fog. The fog felt thicker than before, it was an effort to push through it. He pushed, and moved, but he was having trouble breathing. The fog was weighing down his lungs, he couldn’t help gasping for air and he continued to push forward. He couldn’t run, but he still staggered forward. Then his shoe got caught in the mud, he pulled his foot out and pressed on. Barefoot or not he needed to leave. Obi-Wan was having trouble focusing. His thoughts were scattered, all he could remember was that he had to go forward, keep moving. His vision was going dark, lack of air making him dizzy. 

The fog gripped him. Slowed him. But Obi-Wan was stubborn. Forward, he moved forward. 

There was a black shape approaching him. He tried to move out of the way, but his limbs were heavy, the man picked him up. No, he needed to go forward! Obi-Wan pulled his remaining breath and punched the man. He fell, rolled in the mud and tried to crawl forward. If he could get away he’d feel better, he was sure of it. 

The man wasn’t hurt, he picked Obi-Wan up again and held him tight, his hands pinned down. It was Pre, tall and stern. As he walked the fog lifted and Obi-Wan realized he had only made it a few yards from the house. The closer they got, the more air Obi-Wan was able to pull into his straining lungs. The spots spinning in his vision started to slowly recede. 

Pre carried him like he weighed nothing. After entering the house, Obi-Wan tried to get down. But Pre only tightened his grip. He carried Obi-Wan all the way back to his room, and dumped him in the bathtub. Obi-Wan started sputtering his protest, but Pre ignored him and turned on the taps. 

“You’re filthy, you need to get clean.” Pre grunted at his objections. “It's your own fault for rolling around in the mud.” Pre waited a second longer and when Obi-Wan didn’t start disrobing he continued. “You can clean yourself, or I can make you clean yourself. It would only take a minute, but it would be unpleasant.” 

Obi-Wan remembered the way it felt in the dream when Tor made his body move without his consent, and he shuddered. He didn’t want that when he was awake. He started to strip off his wet clothes. “Look I’m cleaning up. Could you give me some privacy?” 

Pre looked pleased at his obedience. Then he turned to face the door. 

Obi-Wan hurried to clean himself before Pre lost patience. “Can you pass me a towel?” He finally asked. 

Pre grabbed one, then turned back to face Obi-Wan. He held it out, keeping some distance between them, but Pre let his eyes roam over Obi-Wan’s exposed skin. Obi-Wan jerked the towel out of his hand and rushed to cover himself. He could feel a blush spreading from his face down his chest. 

Pre’s pleased look returned. “You weren’t this shy last time I visited you in the bath.” 

“That was a dream.” Obi-Wan protested. 

Pre stalked towards where he was standing with the towel wrapped around his waist, “doesn’t mean it wasn’t real.” 

Pre’s hand extended, aiming to grab Obi-Wan’s hip when Jango’s voice interrupted. “The doctor is here and he wants to look Obi-Wan over.” Pre turned to glare at Jango, unhappy at being caught, but Jango just gave a nonchalant shrug. “You know how Dooku hates being kept waiting.” Pre’s hand tightened into a fist but he nodded and left the room. 

Obi-Wan dressed quickly, and then Jango led Dooku into his room. Dooku gave him a brisk exam. Checking his pulse, listening to his lungs and examining the scrapes on his hands from when he tried to claw his way through the mud to freedom. 

“He is fine, but dehydrated and he needs to eat more.” Was Dooku’s final proclamation.

Obi-Wan did not want to be looked over, so he snapped. “I can manage.” 

Dooku refocused on Obi-Wan, “I thought Jango had explained everything. You’re part of the family now and need to stay within its walls. You can’t leave. The house will keep you here.”

“How is that possible?” asked Obi-Wan

Dooku shrugged, “it just is. You likely felt short of breath when you were trying to leave. If you had gotten much further you would have fainted. You’re lucky you didn’t hurt your face in that pitiful escape attempt, Tor wouldn’t be happy if something happened to it.”

Obi-Wan flushed, he didn’t like the way that sounded. Dooku turned to Jango who had been sitting silently off to the side. “Make sure he eats and drinks. I’ll be back in a few days.” Jango nodded and Dooku swept out of the room. 

Jango brought over some water and a breakfast tray. Obi-Wan drank the water, but he was wary of the tray. He remembered what Jango had said about the fungus being in the food and didn’t want to ingest anymore of it if possible. 

Jango leaned in close and whispered in mando’a. “Please, you need to keep your strength up. The toast is clear, but the jam isn’t.” 

Obi-Wan nodded, and ate the toast. He was much hungrier than he had realized. He opened his mouth to ask a question, but Jango shushed him. “Mando’a only. Tor can hear everything that’s said inside these walls, but he doesn’t speak mando’a.”

Obi-Wan nodded, then said “can the house really keep me here?”

“Yes.” Jango answered.

“Is it controlling my mind?” Obi-Wan asked. 

“Not exactly, it can trigger certain responses in your body. The fungus gives it some control, you were having trouble breathing when you left, that sort of thing. But there are ways to distract it.” Jango said quietly. “Like your vape, it doesn’t like the smell.” Then he pulled out the blue bottle from Bant. “Or this.”

“How did you get that? I thought Ventress got rid of it.”

“I stole it from her rooms. It interferes with the fungus. If you take it slowly, it can disrupt the fungus’s hold over you.” Jango held it out to him. “I told you I’d think of something, and I have a plan.” 

Obi-Wan took the tincture, and felt the beginnings of hope in his chest. 

“The fungus has extended Tor’s life, but you’ve seen him, it can’t extend it forever. He is going to die anyday. Then he’ll start the transmigration to Pre’s body. While that’s happening, everyone will be distracted and focused on them and the house will be weakened. That’s the best time for you to escape.” Jango explained. “I can hide some supplies for you in the tunnels between the house and the cemetery and then you can sneak out and flee.” 

“How do you know this remedy will break the fungus’s hold?” Asked Obi-Wan. 

“I’m positive it does. Anakin almost escaped using it. But, Satine and Pre found out and tracked him down before he could get on a train. Plus, Anakin has never revealed where he got it, despite Tor’s best efforts.” Answered Jango. 

Obi-Wan thanked the force for Bant. “Anakin has to come with me too.”

Jango nodded, “I know. That’s going to be tricky, but I can help him take small amounts of the remedy until we’re ready. We can’t have another repeat of last time, getting rid of the fungus all at once is really hard on the body and it is an instant alert to Tor that something has gone wrong.” 

Jango then looked embarrassed. “If this is going to work, you’re going to have to play along.” 

“Play along with what?” Obi-Wan asked suspiciously. 

“Tor wants you to join the family. He thinks that’s best accomplished by you marrying me.”Jango was frowning. “I know you don’t want anything more to do with me, but I promise I won’t touch you. I also promise this is the best chance you have of escaping.”

“And if this doesn’t work? What then? What does Tor want from me?” Questioned Obi-Wan. 

Jango looked stricken as he answered, “he wants you to have babies with Bo Katan and Satine. We need to rebuild our numbers, and he thinks your genes are ideal to add to the family.” 

“What if I refuse? Is he going to take control of my body and rape me? Or is he going to scoop my mind out like Maul?” Obi-Wan asked sharply. 

“No, no he doesn’t like to control people that way. He prefers to use a lighter hand, my dad was allowed to go to town for years. Anakin was allowed to go to church until his escape attempt.” Jango said. 

Obi-Wan thought of Arla, and he thought of the miners going on strike. “And he can’t control people all the time, otherwise Arla never would have been able to wound him.” 

“Exactly.” Said Jango. 

“He isn’t omnipotent as much as he wants you to believe he is.” Obi-Wan pointed out. 

Jango grimaced. “Growing up here, it's impossible to believe that.” 

Obi-Wan looked at him, Jango was tired. He had dark circles under his eyes, and his brows were drawn tight. His shoulders were tight with stress and his hands were clenched in his lap. He looked broken down, but not defeated. “Why should I trust you?” Obi-Wan asked. 

“I have spent my life pretending everything was fine. But then you arrived, and I can’t keep pretending. I don’t want to support Tor anymore, and I want you to be free. I’ve been a coward, but if I want to honor my father’s legacy, I need to stop being afraid.” Jango said quietly. 

“Alright, let's give it a shot.” Obi-Wan wasn’t sure if he was making a mistake, but it was the best option left. He reached out and clasped Jango’s forearm in the traditional mandalorian way. “Haat, ijaa, haa'it” he said. 

“Haat, ijaa, haa'it” echoed Jango. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Haat, ijaa, haa'it - Truth, honor, vision - words used to seal a pact.
> 
> ****** Vizsla and his sister eat some of the woman's flesh before burring her alive to give the fungus a foothold in their body.


	27. Chapter 27

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Pre turned to look at Jango and said “I thought you had smoothed things over.”
> 
> Jango spoke up for the first time, as he took Obi-Wan’s hand carefully. “Obi-Wan won’t try to run away again.”
> 
> “Fine, next we need Obi-Wan to write his father a letter saying he will be staying at Concordia House through the holidays. Then of course after the holidays you’ll write to let him know you’ve fallen in love and will continue to live with us as a married man.” Pre said. 

Jango gave Obi-Wan a serving of the tincture, and then left him to sleep it off. Between the tincture and the stress of the past few days, Obi-Wan fell into a deep sleep and didn’t wake up until the next morning when Jango arrived with his breakfast. Once again Jango pointed out what was safe to eat, and gave him a dose of the medication. After eating, Jango said “Pre wants to talk to you. Don’t worry, I won’t leave you alone with him again.” 

Obi-Wan grimaced, but knew that he’d agree to play along and as such couldn’t ignore Pre no matter how much he wanted to. They walked slowly to the study, where Pre was waiting for them. 

“Oh good, you’re looking better Obi-Wan. So I hear you’ve come around and will be joining the family?” Pre asked once they had entered and taken a seat. 

“I realized I couldn’t leave this cursed place, if that’s what you mean.” Obi-Wan responded. 

Pre just chuckled, “oh get over yourself Obi-Wan. The house is actually quite lovely once it gets to know you. There are a few things we need to do if you’re as willing as Jango says you are.” 

“Funny definition of willing, but I don’t want to die and end up in a pit like the miners.” Obi-Wan shot back. 

“They aren’t in a pit. Each one was buried in the graveyard, their deaths were necessary to make the soil fertile for the mushrooms.” Pre explained. 

“Ah yes, forgive me.” Obi-Wan said sarcastically, “I forgot how important your human  _ mulch _ was.” 

“They were merely uneducated peasants. Their lives never would have amounted to much, this way at least their bodies could do some good.” Pre said matter of factly. 

“How charming.” Replied Obi-Wan. 

Pre stood up from his seat, and stalked around the desk to observe Obi-Wan up close. “You are charming. My family’s selective breeding has made us compatible with the fungus, but it has left us weakened in other ways. Too many miscarriages and stillbirths. Occasionally new blood is needed.” Pre had a wicked leer on his face as he started to circle around Obi-Wan, looking at him from different angles. “And you are the ideal candidate. Rich, and the house is quite taken with you -- so naturally compatible.” 

Obi-Wan tried to repress a flinch at Pre’s observation. “So I am to be nothing more than a stud, used to provide lots of babies. Babies who might as well die, the same way the miners did and the same way you killed Arla’s lover.” 

Pre returned to standing in front of Obi-Wan, looking into his eyes and trying to assert dominance. When Obi-Wan refused to look away Pre finally said, “you’re not being very nice.” he turned to look at Jango and said “I thought you had smoothed things over.”

Jango spoke up for the first time, as he took Obi-Wan’s hand carefully. “Obi-Wan won’t try to run away again.”

“Fine, next we need Obi-Wan to write his father a letter saying he will be staying at Concordia House through the holidays. Then of course after the holidays you’ll write to let him know you’ve fallen in love and will continue to live with us as a married man.” Pre said. 

“My father won’t be happy.” Obi-Wan said. 

Pre dismissively turned to find some paper and a pen. “Then you’ll just have to write more convincing letters.”

“If I don’t?” Obi-Wan asked. 

“Then he’ll visit and fall ill with some mysterious illness, and as you’ve pointed out -- our doctor isn’t that skilled.” Pre said nonchalantly. 

Obi-Wan took the paper and started writing. Pre let him work in silence until he was finished. Then Pre moved behind him, to read over his shoulder as Obi-Wan put his signature at the bottom. 

“Good, this will do.” Pre said with a nod. 

“Can we go now?” Jango asked, “He’s done his part.” 

“Far from it, Ventress is currently rummaging around to find the wedding outfit Jaster wore, and Satine is making bouquets from her precious lilies. Obi-Wan do you have a suitable wedding suit?” Pre asked. 

Obi-Wan felt his mouth go dry. “Why?” 

Pre gave a cutting smile, “Tor just loves ceremonies. He’s a stickler for details, we want your marriage to be official after all.” 

“Official? Who would come here to perform a ceremony?” Obi-Wan could feel a nervous sweat starting to breakout down his back. 

“Tor will officiate, he’s done it before.” Pre said, he was smirking at Jango now. 

“So I’ll be married in the Church of the Holy Incestuous Mushroom?” Obi-Wan asked. “I don’t think that will be legal.” 

“One of the nice customs of Mandalore is the lack of official paperwork. As long as the parties say their vows, and eventually report it to the magistrate, a wedding is considered official.” Pre said, looking at Jango, clearly enjoying using his culture against him. 

Jango frowned and Obi-Wan couldn’t help needling Pre a bit more. “I still think that both parties are supposed to be willing.” 

Pre lost his smirk and slammed his fist down on the table. “Don’t you ever just shut up? Consider yourself lucky, I advocated for just tying you down and letting Satine have her way with you, but Tor didn’t think that was right. He wanted to protect your virtue, and let you get used to your husband before doing your duty to the family.” Pre had reached out to cup Obi-Wan’s face as he spoke, and was stroking his thumb along his cheek. He took a vicious pleasure in the way Obi-Wan kept trying to jerk away. 

As Pre spoke, Jango paled then clenched his jaw and gritted out, “stop that. He’s going to be  _ my  _ husband _.  _ You need to show him respect.” 

Pre glared at Jango then threw his hands up in a theatrical surrender. “Look at that, my baby brother finally grew a pair of balls. I’ll behave as long as he learns his place.” 

“He will.” Jango said as he pulled Obi-Wan out of the chair and guided him out of the study. 

Jango guided him aimlessly for a while before coming to an abandoned room. The furniture was all covered with sheets, and the dust was thick around them. In the center of the room Jango asked in mando’a “are you alright?” 

Obi-Wan shook his head. “Not really. Lying to my father was hard, Anakin and I are all the family he has left, and while he is wrapped up in his work, I know he loves us dearly.” His voice started to shake, “I also don’t like being around Pre. He scares me.”

Jango grabbed his shoulders, trying to provide some comfort. “You don’t have to be alone with him anymore.” 

“You can’t be there all the time. You stopped him in the bathroom yesterday, but not the first time.” Obi-Wan said his voice quiet. 

Jango looked furious, but he leaned down and pulled a dagger out of his boot. “I know this isn't much, but here take it.” He pressed the dagger into Obi-Wan’s hands. “This can be with you all the time. My father gave it to me, before he died, for protection. Now it can protect you.” 

Obi-Wan admired the dagger. It was made of beskar, and had a blue leather wrap on the handle. It had a sharp point and when he tested it against his thumb, it sliced deep and clean. He took a shuddering breath and clutched it tight. “Thank you Jango.” He studied Jango’s face, and only saw concern there. “You really are my friend aren’t you?”

“Yes, always.” Jango said. 

“I’m sorry, it's just so hard to tell what’s real and what isn’t here.” Obi-Wan turned, removing one of the sheets to reveal a love seat. He took a seat and gestured for Jango to join him. Jango took a seat, and Obi-Wan couldn’t resist leaning into his steady warmth. 

“I understand.” Jango brought his arm up and around Obi-Wan, he moved slowly to let Obi-Wan move away if needed. When Obi-Wan didn’t move, Jango pulled him tight against his side. 

They sat in silence for a bit before Obi-Wan asked, “has it always been like this? You never thought of leaving?” 

Jango thought about it for a while. “My dad was always so much stronger than me. When he realized he was stuck here he tried to escape, maybe he would have been successful if he left as soon as he realized the trap, but by then I had been born. He loved me, and couldn’t leave without me. As a child I saw how he suffered, and knowing he couldn’t find a way out, well I always knew it was hopeless. My dad was the best person I’ve ever known.” 

Obi-Wan patted his thigh to offer some meger comfort as Jango continued. “I thought for a time that I would be allowed to replace Dooku in town once he retired. But, after Arla died, and then Pre and Bo Katan kept struggling to conceive I knew Tor would never let me leave. I’ve just been living in purgatory since then. It was lonely, but better I suffer alone then bring anyone else into this hell. 

“Then you arrived, and my priorities changed.” Jango gave a half shrug. “You reminded me of

my father. I couldn’t be passive if I wanted to honor his legacy.” He fell silent then, a look of deep grief on his face. 

They sat on the couch, cuddled together for strength as they slowly watched the shadows move across the floor. It was melancholy, but the most at peace Obi-Wan had felt since arriving at Concordia House. 


	28. Chapter 28

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The wedding was long, and required little from Obi-Wan and Jango. They knelt and listened to Tor as he gave a long speech, Obi-Wan tuned him out. Choosing to focus instead on the feeling of Jango’s hand in his. The soft heat, the gentle grip; it gave him hope. After the lengthy speech, Tor led them through a set of vows, and then Dooku brought out a carved wooden box. He opened it, and set inside on a velvet cushion were two small pieces of mushroom. 

The next day Obi-Wan was allowed to visit Anakin. All pretenses were dropped, and the family seemed happy to let him wander just about anywhere as long as he was in the company of Jango. They were a unit now, and much as it irked Obi-Wan, getting to speak to Anakin freely without an actual chaperone was worth it. Obi-Wan couldn’t help apologizing to his brother, instead of rescuing his brother, he had gotten caught in the same trap. 

“Obi-Wan, it is enough that you came. Having an ally makes all the difference, I know that I’m not crazy now.” Anakin kept insisting. 

They were able to lay out their basic plan, and they tried to ensure Anakin would be ready to flee when the time was right. 

In the afternoon, Obi-Wan had to head to his room with Ventress to show off his suit options. Ventress was demanding, but eventually he found one that she approved of. Once she agreed on a suit, she drew out a vintage necktie. 

As she placed it around his neck she said, “this is a Vizsla family heirloom, it has been worn by generations of grooms, and Tor wants to see it on you tomorrow.” It was a deep purple silk, with a circle pattern in the fabric. It looked the same color as the dark wine they served in the house. The silk was soft, but when Obi-Wan looked at closely the seams were fraying. A picture of perfection from a distance, but up close it was worn and old. 

Obi-Wan nodded and accepted it. After Ventress left, Jango returned. He had good news, “I have some supplies ready for you in the tunnel, a lantern and some clean water. That should let you get away.”

Obi-Wan was relieved. “Did you pack any of your own things?”

Jango turned away, “no. I can’t come with you.” 

“What do you mean? Once they realize you helped us escape, you’ll be in danger.” Obi-Wan asked, grabbing Jango’s hands. 

“The tincture can break your and Anakin’s connections to the fungus, but I’ve lived with it all my life. It's too deep.” Jango looked sad, his eyes were tight. “If I came with you, they’d be able to track me and find you easily.” 

Obi-Wan shook his head. “No, we’ll just keep running then. We can hide. You deserve to escape too.”

“I can’t. Tor will never let me go.” Jango was resigned to his fate. “Besides, what would I even do away from the house? I’ve spent my entire life being prepared to serve the family here, I don’t have any skills or ideas of what to do in the real world.” 

“You’re an artist. You could stay with us and continue to make art, we could visit the main galleries in Coruscant, it would be a better life.” Obi-Wan pleaded. 

“I won’t put you in danger like that. I need you to be safe.” Jango responded, drawing Obi-Wan into his arms. He then rested his head on Obi-Wan’s shoulder. “I have to ensure you’re safe.” 

Obi-Wan held the hug, heartbroken at the idea of leaving him behind. But, he couldn’t think of a way to convince him to come. Instead he held Jango and mourned for what they might have built together if things were different. 

They broke away at the sound of a loud guttural moan. “That’s Tor. His body is falling apart. He can’t hold onto it anymore, the transmigration will happen tomorrow.” Said Jango. “He wants us to be married first, so the wedding will happen after dinner tonight.” 

They seperated to get dressed, then met again at dinner. The entire family was present, except for Tor. Pre and Bo Katan sat together across from Anakin and Satine, Ventress was at the end of the table with Jango on her right and Obi-Wan on her left. It was a silent dinner, but Satine had brought big bouquets of lilies to the table in an attempt to brighten things up. After the meal, she pinned a lily on both of their breasts. 

Obi-Wan couldn’t bring himself to eat or drink anything. He didn’t want to undo what the remedy had done, and he was just too nervous. Jango and Anakin ate sparingly, but the rest of the family seemed pleased as they cleared their plates and had several glasses of wine. 

All too soon, dinner was over and the family once again walked to Tor’s room together. Tor was dressed in a suit, and sitting in one of the armchairs. Dooku stood behind him, a silent presence, but clearly there to support Tor’s failing body. 

The wedding was long, and required little from Obi-Wan and Jango. They knelt and listened to Tor as he gave a long speech, Obi-Wan tuned him out. Choosing to focus instead on the feeling of Jango’s hand in his. The soft heat, the gentle grip; it gave him hope. After the lengthy speech, Tor led them through a set of vows, and then Dooku brought out a carved wooden box. He opened it, and set inside on a velvet cushion were two small pieces of mushroom. 

Tor encouraged them to each take one. “Now, we’ve come to the most important part of the ceremony. By eating the fungus, they’ll unite themselves in marriage and bind themselves as one flesh.” 

Obi-Wan did not want to eat the mushroom. He didn’t want to add more fungus into his system, and he could only imagine what horrible conditions the mushroom had grown in. Maybe it grew in the dark depths of the cave under the cemetery, or maybe it had grown on Tor’s body. He didn’t have a choice though, so he followed Jango’s lead and carefully fed him the bit of mushroom. Jango gave his fingers a tender squeeze, and gently placed his bite in Obi-Wan’s mouth. 

It tasted of ash in his mouth. But then Dooku brought out a glass of something dark and held it out for them to drink. They each sipped, it smelled foul, but it at least chased the ash away. 

As they finished their drink Tor cheered, “congratulations! I’m delighted to present our newest married couple to the family. Jango, you may kiss your husband!” 

Jango leaned forward, and asked quietly “may I kiss you?” 

Obi-Wan responded, “yes.” Jango then pressed a feather light kiss to his mouth. It was soft, and over in an instant, but it burned. 

The family gathered around them, offering congratulations and a pat on the back. It was unsettling, Obi-Wan did not want to be there, he did not consider himself married, but he had to pretend to be at least civil. They kept making toasts and forcing him to drink that dark wine. Before long, he realized Ventress had led him out of the room without Jango. “Where are we going?” Obi-Wan asked nervously. 

“I am taking you to your room, Jango will be along shortly. I just wanted to be sure you were prepared for tonight.” Ventress explained. 

“I really don’t think that is any of your business.” Obi-Wan said, trying to fight off a blush. 

“It’s in the family’s best interest for you to be happy with him, so it really is my business.” Ventress said, her hand tight around Obi-Wan’s forearm, her nails digging in. 

“Fine. Yes I am familiar with sex.” Obi-Wan gritted out through clenched teeth. 

“Good, good.” Ventress mused, then fell silent. Eventually they reached his room, and she deposited him inside. “Jango will arrive shortly, go ahead and wait for him.” 

Not knowing what else to do, he headed into the room. Removing his suit coat and tie, he sat on the side of the bed. Obi-Wan rested his arms on his knees and hung his head. The wedding left him mentally exhausted, but his skin was hot and buzzing. He was having trouble staying focused. His mind was drifting when he heard the door open. He looked up and saw Pre walking in. 

“Well, we’re basically back where we started.” Pre said. 

“What do you mean? Where’s Jango?” Obi-Wan asked.

“Did you really think we wouldn’t find out? Did you really think you could keep a secret from us?” Pre asked with a disdainful sneer. He slowly pulled the blue bottle with the oh so important remedy of his pocket, and waggled it at Obi-Wan. “Pathetic. At least you’re pretty.” He returned the bottle to his pocket. ”Jango is being reprimanded. Tor was most displeased with him.”

Obi-Wan tried to stand up, but he was so dizzy. And the mold was back, growing on the walls and flashing gold at him. He stumbled, but before he could fall on his face, Pre caught him. 

“Let me go! You shouldn’t be in here!” Obi-Wan said as he tried to escape Pre’s hold. 

Pre just chuckled. “You’ve been bad and now you need to be punished.” He started to pull at Obi-Wan’s shirt and press hot, wet kisses against his neck. “My brother wouldn’t even know what to do with you. Don’t worry, I know just what you need.”

Obi-Wan abruptly remembered that he had hidden Jango’s dagger under the bed. If he could reach it, he could use it. The golden glow was distracting him, making it hard to think. But the feeling of Pre’s mouth was all wrong. It was greedy where Jango was soft. He closed his eyes and gathered his thoughts, gathered his strength and gave Pre a sharp push. 

He caught Pre just as he was trying to unbutton his pants, so he was surprised and stumbled back a step. Obi-Wan followed it up with a kick to his knee, which sent Pre toppling over. He fell hard, and hit his head on the way down. Obi-Wan immediately scrambled to grab the dagger. He held it close, but Pre was lying motionless on the floor. 

After a beat, Obi-Wan grabbed the remedy out of Pre’s pocket and took a large mouthful. There was a sharp pain in his stomach, and behind his eyes, then his entire body spasmed. He couldn’t help it, the spasm loosened his grip and the bottle and dagger both fell to the floor. The dagger was fine, but the bottle shattered. Its contents spread, staining the floor. He couldn’t worry about it though as abruptly the glow of the mushrooms faded and he could think much more clearly. 

He needed to go now. He needed to get Anakin and escape. This was their chance, it wasn’t what he had planned for with Jango, but clearly that plan had been found out. Obi-Wan briefly considered stabbing the dagger into Pre, but he couldn’t bring himself to kill when his opponent was unarmed and unconscious. Besides, he needed to hurry. He didn’t have time to debate the ethics of it. Anakin needed him. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Only one more chapter and an epilogue! Both should be up tomorrow.


	29. Chapter 29

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jango took a deep breath, and Obi-Wan helped him stand. “Where were you?” Obi-Wan asked. 
> 
> “I was locked in my room. I had to break out, but I knew you’d need me.” Jango answered, as he started looking for Anakin’s shoes. 
> 
> “Oh.” Obi-Wan abruptly felt warm knowing Jango had broken out, and then came to throw himself in danger to protect him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> lmao on this last day of nanowrimo have an extra long chapter as a gift

Anakin was sitting on his bed, staring vacantly at the wall when Obi-Wan rushed in. “Hurry, come on, it's time!” Obi-Wan gasped out as he reached for his brother’s hand. Anakin didn’t move or acknowledge him. Obi-Wan pulled on his hand, trying to get him to stand up. 

He was so focused on his brother that he didn’t notice Maul in the room. With a hoarse cry, Maul threw himself on Obi-Wan’s back and started wrestling him away from Anakin. Obi-Wan twisted and turned, hitting Maul with an elbow and he was raising his hands to scratch at the man’s face when Maul’s mouth opened and he shrieked “He’s ours!” His voice was broken and stiff, the voice of the house. Obi-Wan had just gotten a good scratch in when Maul was pulled off of him. 

Jango had arrived. He was wearing his beskar, and he wrestled Maul to the ground and had him pinned while throwing punches. Obi-Wan could hear the crack of the metal colliding with Maul’s face. Jango looked like an avenging angel. Jango didn’t pull out a weapon though, and suddenly Obi-Wan remembered the dagger. Maul was still thrashing, and kicking Jango. Obi-Wan fell to the floor next to Jango, and reached over with the dagger to slice at Maul’s neck. It was easy, cutting his throat, ending his protests. 

Jango took a deep breath, and Obi-Wan helped him stand. “Where were you?” Obi-Wan asked. 

“I was locked in my room. I had to break out, but I knew you’d need me.” Jango answered, as he started looking for Anakin’s shoes. 

“Oh.” Obi-Wan abruptly felt warm knowing Jango had broken out, and then came to throw himself in danger to protect him. “Do you know what’s wrong with Anakin? He was supposed to be ready.” He took a cue from Jango, and grabbed a coat for Anakin to put on. 

“They must have drugged him.” Jango said as he shoved Anakin’s boots on. “Come on, we need to go now. We don’t have much time.” Obi-Wan put the coat over Anakin’s nightclothes, and with the help of Jango, pulled him out of the room. The fight with Maul had been loud, and they knew they needed to hurry. The house had controlled Maul, and likely also alerted the other occupants. 

They were almost to the tunnel when Ventress rounded a corner holding a blaster. Her face was fierce and her grip didn’t waver. “Where do you think you’re going?” 

Jango bared his teeth and growled at her, “Let them go mother.”

Ventress sighed, “I always knew you had too much of your father in you.” She then focused on Obi-Wan, “drop the knife.” 

“No.” 

She smiled then moved her blaster to point at Anakin. “I think you’ll want to reconsider.” 

Obi-Wan dropped the dagger. He couldn’t let them harm Anakin anymore than they already had. 

“Put your hands up and head to Tor’s room.” Ventress said as she grabbed Anakin’s arm and pressed the blaster into his side. Jango led the way, with slumped shoulders and a resigned air. 

Their destination was dark, Tor was lying on the bed, his body wracked with shivers every few minutes. Dooku stood over him, with his bag open on a side table. 

“Finally, Jango get over here.” Dooku commanded. 

“What? No. You don’t have to go.” Obi-Wan protested as Jango took an automatic step forward. 

“There is no time to waste. The transmigration must happen now.” Dooku said, then he pulled Jango over and started speaking quietly to him. Ventress held Obi-Wan still, out of reach of the bed. Anakin slowly drifted after Jango, aimlessly. 

All of a sudden Obi-Wan realized what was happening. Tor meant to take Jango’s body. Why would he take his oldest grandchild’s body? Why would he harm his favorite? Especially when there was another option available, the least favorite son, barely tolerated by his family. Only tolerated because he was being prepared for Tor. He felt sick to his stomach. 

Obi-Wan turned imploringly to Ventress. “How can you allow this? He’s your son?” 

Dooku started chanting in High Galactic, then Tor joined in. His voice was deeper than it should have been. After a sharp look from Dooku, Jango slowly joined the chant. Their voices twined together, and sounded like one. 

Ventress looked blank. “It's only a body.” 

Just a body, like the miners dead in the cemetery and Tor’s wives. Obi-Wan realized there probably needed to be some type of consent, and Jango had likely been groomed from childhood to consent to the ‘sacrifice’ of himself for his god. A submission, a surrender. 

“You’ve been planning this all along.” He accused, and then realized  _ oh force, they were going to switch them out then have Tor crawl into my bed in Jango’s body. I probably wouldn’t have noticed the change until after.  _

Ventress shrugged, “it could have been easy and quiet, but you had to throw another fit.” 

Dooku took Jango’s head in his hands, and positioned it next to Tor. Tor leaned over, kissing Jango’s forehead and then leaning down to kiss his lips. Like he had kissed Obi-Wan’s lips, but this one would kill everything that made Jango special. Tor would consume him from the inside out. Obi-Wan tried to take a step forward, but Ventress reached out quick as a snake to grasp his arm and hold him still. 

“It's time to pray now.” Ventress said, as she forced Obi-Wan to bend his head in a mockery of respect. At that moment Obi-Wan noticed Anakin had drifted right beside Tor, unnoticed by everyone else. Anakin was holding a scalpel from Dooku’s case, and was staring at it with a confused expression. Then his expression shifted, to recognition then to a fierce hatred. More hatred than Obi-Wan had ever seen in him before. 

Anakin raised the scalpel high and brought it down into Tor’s eye. It burst and spattered a black bile. Anakin raised the scalpel again and again, thrusting it into Tor’s face. The bile continued to gush and spurt from the wounds, coating Anakin’s hand and dripping off the scalpel. 

Tor let out an inhuman shriek and started seizing before falling still. Dooku, Ventress and Jango all fell to the floor with a scream, clutching their heads. Obi-Wan ran and pulled Jango up, then looked to where Anakin was staring dazedly at his hands. “Lets go!” He said, trying to pull them both along with him. 

As they stumbled towards the door, Ventress recovered enough to grab Obi-Wan’s legs and pull him to the ground. She rolled on top of him and started choking him as she said “why must you be difficult? Ugh you’re worse than the Fetts. You won’t be leaving this house. You’ll be mulch for the cemetery, that’s all you're good for.” Her knee landed on one of his hands, and she viciously put her weight mostly on that hand. He could feel the bones grinding together, and then snap under her knee. 

With his free hand Obi-Wan scrabbled at his neck, and when he couldn’t break her grip he started reaching around for something else to stop her. He thought the blaster was-- somewhere nearby. He could hear Anakin keening as he stretched and grabbed trying to find anything to break her grasp. Spots were starting to dance before his eyes when he saw a rush of blue and silver and Jango tackled Ventress off him. 

They grappled on the floor as Obi-Wan rolled over, gasping and trying to sit up. His arms were shaking though, and he kept losing his balance, falling back down. The blaster wasn’t in sight. 

Then, he heard a loud bang and Ventress and Jango both fell still. Ventress was laying on top of Jango and all he could see was the limp way they were curled around each other. He was about to sob in grief when it shifted and Jango pushed Ventress off him. He was holding the blaster and his eyes were bright with tears but he looked like himself. 

They crawled towards each other, and clung tightly together for a beat before they helped each other up. Obi-Wan looked at Ventress, dead on the floor and was about to turn to the door when he heard the voice of Tor once more, “Jango. My boy. That’s my body now. You’re mine.” He looked, and Tor was a grotesque figure, covered in black bile, missing an eye. But Tor reached towards Jango, and Jango responded by moving forward. 

It was a compulsion, Obi-Wan realized, Jango had been compelled to serve since childhood and he would never be free. It was the same with Arla, she hadn’t committed suicice -- Tor had made her kill herself in a last ditch attempt to save his own life. Arla had been murdered and if he didn’t do something, Jango would be murdered too. 

Tor had taken off his amber ring and was holding it out towards Jango. A sealing of their pact, a finality and an acquiescence. Jango reached forward to take it. 

Obi-Wan needed to stop this. He needed Jango, and he couldn’t leave without Jango by his side. He rushed forward, grabbing and digging his fingers into a gap in his armor and jerking Jango back, away from Tor and away from the ring. Jango looked at him, his eyes were cloudy. 

Tor growled at the interruption, “ **boy!** ” and it echoed around them. Ringing in Obi-Wan’s ears as he pulled the blaster from Jango’s limp grasp and turned to face Tor. Obi-Wan had only shot a few times, blasters were so uncivilized, but he was so close, it was impossible to miss. He fired once, twice, three times into Tor. 

Jango jerked again, but he didn’t fall. He took great gulping breaths and looked at Obi-Wan in awe. Obi-Wan smiled weakly, then turned and shot Dooku where he lay, still thrashing on the ground. He fired until the blaster ran out of charges. He dropped the useless blaster and instead grabbed Jango’s hand, and twined their fingers together as he led him into the hall. Not looking back.

Anakin was waiting in the hall, still keening, but he had his hands wrapped around his mouth muffling the sound. He was staring at Tor as he twitched on the bed, his desperate death throes shaking and shuddering as he moaned and wheezed. 

Obi-Wan reached his free hand out, but when he tried to pull Anakin along he realized his hand was useless. The broken bones kept him from opening or closing it, so he nudged Anakin with his shoulder as they took off running for the front door. 

As they hit the top of the stairs they saw the last servant, standing in front of the door. She was making desperate gasping sounds as she opened and closed her mouth like a fish. Her hands kept opening and closing as fists too. “What is wrong with her?” Obi-Wan whispered. 

“Tor, he lost control of her. We could probably walk right by her, but I bet the door is locked, and Ventress had the only key.” Jango answered in a whisper. 

“I’m not going back for the key.” Obi-Wan also did not want to walk within grasping distance of her. “Is there another way?” He asked quietly. 

Jango thought for a second then led them back down the hall. “We can take the servants' stairs in the back.” 

It was dark and cramped, the steps longer than normal stairs. Obi-Wan had to hold tightly to the hand rail to avoid falling. Half way down the handrail began to feel slick. He wanted to let go, but couldn’t think of how to avoid falling without it. “What is happening?” He asked Jango. 

“It’s the gloom. It wants us to stay, so it's messing with our perception. The only way out is through.” Jango answered. 

Obi-Wan grit his teeth, but followed after Jango a bit quicker. The dark increased, and the wet handrail started to get sticky, grasping and trying to hold his hand in place. It took too long, they must have ran down six or seven flights of stairs before they finally arrived on the ground floor. They were all gasping for air, but Jango continued on. They followed him to the back of the pantry in the kitchen. The shelves were empty, but it was musty like the rest of the house. 

“Here,” Jango said as he pulled a yellow pack from behind the door. He opened it and passed a sweater to Obi-Wan. Anakin still had his coat on, and Jango was in his beskar, but Obi-Wan would get cold quickly in just his shirt. “We can open the trap door here, then follow the tunnel to the mosaulem in the cemetery. From there all we have to do is walk down the mountain to town.” He pulled out a lantern and lit it as he explained. Then he handed the lantern to Obi-Wan and started to move the shelf out of the way of the door. 

Anakin spoke up for the first time since the wedding, “I don’t want to go there. That is where the dead sleep and I don’t want to be around them. Listen.” 

When Anakin fell silent, they all listened and Obi-Wan realized he could hear a distant moaning. “What is that?” He asked. 

Jango looked grim, “That’s Tor.” 

Obi-Wan joined him to move the shelf, and motioned that they should block the pantry door with it. “It can’t be. I killed him.” He protested. 

“He is injured, and in a lot of pain, but he isn’t dead yet. The fungus is holding him together. The entire house is angry, and trying to hold onto us. We need to hurry.” Jango said. 

Obi-Wan looked at Anakin, he was pale and slowly shaking his head. Obi-Wan pulled him into a short hug and said “We have to go, this is the best way to escape and it’ll be over soon. Then we can go home, dad has missed you terribly.” 

Anakin gave a jerky nod, “alright.” 

Jango opened the trap door, and led them into the tunnel. Obi-Wan had expected a rough hewn tunnel, with raw rock, but it was delicately carved and the walls were lined with tiles. They were painted in bright colors and showed many beautiful mushrooms and lilies. The floor and ceiling were covered in small golden mushrooms and as they started forward the mushrooms started to glow. 

“I--- are they glowing?” Obi-Wan asked.

“Yes, these are the mushrooms Tor brought back from the cave. They mostly grow down here, but occasionally they can be found in the cemetery.” Jango explained as he hurried them along. 

After a few more feet, Jango shuttered and started breathing hard. His hands were shaking. 

“What’s wrong?” Asked Obi-Wan.

“It's the house. It doesn’t want to let me go, it's affecting me.” Jango sounded out of breath. Obi-Wan stepped forward, and pulled Jango’s arm over his shoulder. He handed the lantern to Anakin and then kept walking, supporting Jango. The further they got, the more of Jango’s weight he was carrying, until Anakin came to an abrupt stop at a pair of massive wooden doors. They were carved with the Vizsla clan signet surrounded by snakes eating their tails. 

Jango looked up, and took a second to focus on the doors before he said, “yes, through the doors into the crypt and up the stairs and out of the mausoleum.” He took a deep breath and then straightened up. He tilted his head towards Obi-Wan then walked forward to pull the doors open with a grunt. 

The crypt was brighter than the tunnel, and it was overflowing with mushrooms of all sizes. They all glowed softly, and covered every available surface. The only space that was free of mushrooms was a stone altar in the center of the room. The wall behind the altar was covered in a long yellow curtain. To the left was an iron gate and a flight of stairs. Jango moved towards the gate, and Anakin followed. 

Obi-Wan couldn’t help but approach the altar. A familiar silver cup and beskar knife rested on it. “I’ve seen this before, in my dreams.” The cup had come from the first cave, and the knife had been used to slice the flesh off the woman. “Tor used this knife in cannibalism rituals.” He said in horror. 

Jango winced and doubled over grabbing his stomach. “Yeah, the fungus is in the flesh and by eating it Tor can increase the connection between his body and the fungus.” 

Anakin put a worried hand on his shoulder. But Obi-Wan was transfixed, he could hear a buzzing, it was coming from behind the curtain. He slowly approached the curtain and started to raise his hand to grasp it. 

“Don’t look!” Anakin said, his voice was tight with worry. “You don’t want to see it!”

Obi-Wan ignored him. His fingers were vibrating on the curtain, like it was covering a mess of bees. 

_ Look.  _

He pulled the curtain away. 

Behind it was a horrible mushroom -- no a horrible mummy. It was indistinct, but it was in the shape of a person who had been consumed by the fungus. Most of the body was melted into the wall, golden mushrooms sprouting from every pore. He could see the mouth though, pulled away from still white teeth in a painful grimace. This was the golden figure he had seen in his dreams, stalking him through the house. 

One hand was outstretched, and it wore a familiar golden ring. 

Suddenly he was a woman, inside a dark coffin. She had prepared for this, but the reality was much worse than she anticipated. She banged and clawed at the lid of the coffin. She couldn’t see anything, but she could feel the weight of the ring her husband had put on her finger before closing the coffin. 

Obi-Wan opened his eyes. The buzzing got louder. It hurt. 

_ Look.  _

This was Isbet. He knew what had happened, it made a sick sort of sense. As practiced in the cave, the fungus could prolong life, especially with the sacrifice of the priest. But it couldn’t offer immortality. Tor realized that the fungus on its own would provide limited connections, but it needed the anchor of a human mind to truly provide immortality. A human mind could store information, it could direct the fungi’s connections and build a framework -- no, a web to fulfil Tor’s desires. So, Tor provided a mind for the fungus. Sacrificing his wife to his cause. 

_ Look, look, look.  _

Isbet was the gloom, and the gloom was Isbet. 

_ He is hurt. We are hurt. Look.  _

The buzzing was so loud it was all he could hear. It reverberated around his skull and left him bowed forward in pain. It was a crescendo. All he knew was the buzz. 

Hot, familiar hands pulled him around, and Jango pulled Obi-Wan’s face into his shoulder. “You shouldn’t look at her. We are never supposed to look at her!” Jango was smoothing down his hair and shaking. 

“He killed her. He murdered his wife by burying her alive. The fungus sprouted from her body. She’s not human any more... He remade her. He remade her.” Obi-Wan said shakily into Jango’s shoulder. He was breathing too fast. He couldn’t catch his breath. 

“Shh, shh, no no stay with me.” Jango said softly, as he continued to pet Obi-Wan. 

Obi-Wan took a deep breath. Consciously drawing on his mediation habits to calm himself down. “She’s the gloom. Did you know?” 

“Only Tor and Pre come down here.” Jango said, quietly as he shivered. 

“But you knew!” Obi-Wan couldn’t keep the accusation out of his voice as he lifted his head to look at Jango. 

All the ghosts in the house were Isbet. Or, no, the ghosts lived inside Isbet. No, no that wasn’t correct. Isbet was the gloom and the ghosts lived inside the gloom. It wasn’t a haunting, but it wasn’t a possession. It was a terrible afterlife, built on the marrow and bones of a woman who had become stems and spores. 

“Arla knew too,” Jango said. “She couldn’t do anything. She keeps us here, and she is how Tor controls everything. We can’t leave. They don’t let us, ever.” Jango was sweating. He slowly let go of Obi-Wan and slid to the floor. He landed on his knees, gripping Obi-Wan’s arms tightly. 

“What’s wrong? We need to keep moving!” Obi-Wan asked, kneeling down with Jango. 

“He’s right, none of you will be leaving.” Obi-Wan’s head snapped around to see Pre walking slowly through the gate. He looked smug as he strolled into the room. 

“Did you really think I was carrying that remedy with me on accident? Force Obi-Wan you’re so naive. I needed a little chaos and you provided it for me. Tor ensured none of us could harm him, he made Arla commit suicude when she tried. But you, you were an outsider and so desperate to escape.” 

Pre walked over to Anakin and clapped him on the shoulder. “Thanks for your help tonight as well, I think you’re my favorite brother.”

Obi-Wan stood back up, pulling Jango with him. “What is your endgame? Tor can still transmigrate into the gloom and take someone else over.” 

Pre broke into a smug smile, “he’s injured and soon to be dead. I control the gloom now, and I can stop him from transmigrating if I want. I realized little Jango was planning something, and took my chance. You wanted change, I wanted change. Now we’re both happy.” 

Obi-Wan grabbed the knife off the altar, “well now that you’ve got the control you wanted, you can let us leave.”

“Oh no,” said Pre. “I don’t have everything I want. Come here Obi-Wan.”

Obi-Wan took a startled step forward, unable to stop himself. Jango grabbed his arm, and stopped him. “No.” 

Pre tilted his head, “Obi-Wan has always been mine. I’d prefer if he came willingly, but I’m happy to do it the hard way.” 

“I took the remedy! You can’t control me anymore.” Obi-Wan said with a shaking voice. 

Pre smirked, “the remedy is incredibly effective, but it has a limited period of effectiveness. You’ve walked all the way here, and then stood down here, breathing those small spores the entire time. I can make you do whatever I want. Drop the knife.” 

Obi-Wan felt the knife grow hot in his hand, and without any input of his own, he dropped the knife. He gasped in pain. 

“Come to me Obi-Wan.” Pre said one more time. 

Obi-Wan continued walking forward. He couldn’t stop himself. He didn’t want to stop. He walked to Pre, and let himself be drawn into an embrace. From this close he could see sweat beading on Pre’s face. He looked smug, but there was a slight tremor in his hands as he clasped them around Obi-Wan’s waist. 

Obi-Wan focused on the walls, they looked so soft and inviting. Like pillows. He wondered what would happen if he pressed himself into the wall. If it would absorb him, if the fungus would grow through his body and out the other side. Cramming into his mouth, filling every open space in him. It seemed peaceful. 

“Don’t.” Said Jango firmly. He punched Pre, knocking him to the side. Pre laughed and straightened. 

“Finally giving me a challenge baby brother?” Pre beckoned him forward. 

Jango rushed him, his teeth bared in a snarl. But Pre was ready this time, he caught Jango and the two started wrestling for dominance. 

Pre laughed, “we can always share Jango. Can’t you hear grandfather? He is almost dead, and once he’s gone I have complete control of the gloom. We could be allies.”

Jango just snarled in response. 

Obi-Wan could feel the power shift. They weren’t just fighting here, they were also fighting in the gloom. It was dizzying. Obi-Wan felt like he was being pulled in two different directions. For a brief instant Jango took control. Obi-Wan rushed backwards, while his feet were his to control.

Suddenly Jango froze, his hand holding the knife raised to strike. 

Pre frowned, his eyes were glowing the same gold as the mushrooms. The buzzing returned, stating low then rushing to life.

“Yield.” Pre said to Jango. 

Jango growled and regained control of himself. He threw himself forward, surprising Pre. He landed a sharp blow on Pre’s face. Obi-Wan could see the blood gushing out. Pre let out an angry yelp. 

He wiped some of the blood off his chin, and calmly said “I’ll make you bite off your own tongue.” 

Jango was frozen again, blood welling from a wound on his temple. His chest was heaving but he managed to shake his head. But his hands started to spasm and his mouth was opening and closing. 

Oh force, Obi-Wan realized Pre was going to make Jango do it, make him eat his own tongue. 

He could hear the buzzing increase behind him. 

_ Look.  _

He turned around and saw the face of Isbet frozen, screaming a silent painful grimace. It was painfully clear.  _ How had he missed this?  _ The gloom was a manifestation of all the pain that had been inflicted on Isbet. She was driven to madness, driven to anger, driven to despair, and now the only bit left of her was in agony. 

She was stuck in an endless nightmare, the buzzing was her voice. She couldn’t communicate, the buzzing was all she had. 

What did she want? To be released from this torment. To wake up one final time. But she couldn’t ever wake. 

The buzzing was growing, just on the edge of pain again. But Obi-Wan finally understood what she was trying to tell him. 

Obi-Wan looked at the lantern Anakin had set down on the floor, when he backed away from the fight. He didn’t dare think about what he had planned, instead focusing on the phrase that Arla had impressed on him.  _ Open your eyes, open your eyes, open your eyes.  _ His steps were swift and sure. His hands were steady as he grabbed the lantern. He was determined and quick. Each step he whispered  _ open your eyes.  _

Until he was back in front of Isbet. 

“Sleepwalker,” he whispered. “Time to open your eyes.”

He threw the lantern into the corpse's face. It shattered and instantly ignited in flames. The mushrooms around her head caught first, giving her a fiery halo for a moment. Then the flames spread to the other mushrooms along the walls and the floor. 

The mushrooms blackened and popped. Sizzling as they shriveled. 

Pre screamed, a scream of total agony. He collapsed on the ground. Jango fell down as well. Isbet was the gloom, and the gloom was in them. The sudden damage to the gloom ricocheted across the web, hurting everyone trapped in it. 

Obi-Wan ran to Anakin, where he had folded himself into the wall. He pressed his hand to Anakin’s face, “are you alright?”

“Yes. yes.” Anakin said, nodding. 

Pre and Jango were moaning on the floor. Obi-Wan hurried to try and collect Jango one last time. Pre grabbed at his legs, tangling him and almost knocking him down. He kicked Pre in the face, but moved out of his reach. Anakin was behind him, and holding the forgotten knife. He looked at Pre for a moment then brought the knife down into his eye, an imitation of how he’d attacked Tor. 

Pre screamed again, then lay still. Obi-Wan looked at him for a second, holding Anakin’s hand and wishing they could cut his entire head off. But then Jango moaned, so they hauled him to his feet. “Come on, we need to run.” Obi-Wan said. 

“It's dying, we are dying.” Jango said, but he dutifully tried to follow. The entire room was bursting into flames around them. He stumbled forward a step, then fell again to his knees. “I can’t leave.”

“Yes you can.” Obi-Wan insisted as he dragged Jango with him for the gate. Anakin took one of his arms and together they pulled him up the stairs and out of the mausoleum. Obi-Wan was too focused on Jango to watch where they were going. But, Anakin pulled them ever forward. 

As they burst into the dark cemetery, the mist had risen and was covering everything. Making it impossible to know where to go. “Jango, where is the gate? You need to show us how to leave.” 

Jango’s lolling head straightened and he weakly nodded to the left. They went that way, but most of their strength had been spent getting up the flight of stairs. It was slow, they stumbled often. 

Finally, he saw the iron gates and beyond it something was glowing. “The house is burning.” Said Jango quietly. 

Obi-Wan imagined the entire cursed house being consumed by the flames. Every musty book, every dark velvet curtain, Tor’s bloated corpse. Below that, all the fungus that made up the gloom. All of it was cleansed by fire. 

“Let’s go.” Obi-Wan muttered. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This ended up much longer than anticipated, so the epilogue will be up tomorrow!


	30. Epilogue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Our intrepid heroes take stock and try to adjust.

Jango was laying in bed, the blankets pulled high around his chin. He was still, so still. 

Obi-Wan sat in an uncomfortable chair next to his bed. He’d been sitting there for two days, waiting for Jango to wake up. As he waited, he turned one of Jango’s vambraces over and over in his hands. 

They had been found on the mountains by some of Jango’s cousins, Fives and Echo, thankfully they had been too shocked to ask questions at the sight of the three of them in bloody and torn clothes. Jango’s beskar fit in with theirs, but it was covered in soot and blood. Anakin was still wearing his pajamas and Obi-Wan was wearing a wedding suit. The escape had been so much worse than expected -- they hadn’t had time to agree upon an alibi. 

The twins had taken them directly to Dr. Quin. He patched their wounds without many questions, and the twins had brought Bant by with more of her tincture. She had given them a knowing glance, but didn’t say anything. The tincture had made Obi-Wan and Anakin ill, stomach cramps and the shakes, but they recovered quickly. It sent Jango straight to sleep. Where he still was. 

Obi-Wan and Anakin decided to tell everyone that Pre had snapped, and tried to recreate his aunt’s actions by setting the house on fire. Obi-Wan didn’t think they believed them, but mandalorians protected their own -- and Jango was one of their own. 

He startled at a light knock on the door. Anakin was standing there with a steaming cup of tea, he offered it to Obi-Wan. “You should come to bed.” Anakin said quietly. 

Obi-Wan gratefully took the tea, “I don’t want him to wake up alone.” 

Anakin gave him a look, “but what if he doesn’t wake up?” 

“He’s going to wake up. He will be fine.” Obi-Wan insisted. 

Not wanting to argue, Anakin switched tactics. “You need to be rested for when father arrives with the police tomorrow.” 

Obi-Wan scrubbed at his face tiredly. “Yeah I know.”

“Do you want me to stay with you?” Anakin offered with a small smile. A real smile. 

“No, no. I’ll go to sleep soon I promise.” Obi-Wan deflected. “Things will be better once father arrives, he’ll smooth it all over. Plus, we have the support of the town.”

“Yeah. I’m really looking forward to seeing our father.” Anakin said softly. He placed a hand on Obi-Wan’s shoulder and gave it a small squeeze. “I’ll be just down the hall, wake me if you need anything.” 

Obi-Wan nodded his thanks as Anakin gently closed the door and left. He leaned back in his chair focusing on the ceiling, holding his tea close and savoring it warmth. A rustle interrupted his thoughts, he looked down and saw Jango’s face had shifted on the pillow and his eyes were open, looking at him. 

“Your dad is coming?” Jango asked quietly. 

“Mhmm, were you awake the whole time?” Obi-Wan asked as he leaned forward to give Jango a drink of water. 

“No, I was drifting, but your voice drew me back.” Jango said. “Is it safe for him to come? Is it all gone?” Letting Obi-Wan help him sit up in the bed. 

“Yes, some of your cousins went and gave it a once over. The entire house was gone, burned to ashes. They didn’t see any fungus either.” Obi-Wan reassured him. 

Jango went pale, “some fungus grows more vigorously after a fire.”

“Not these mushrooms.” Obi-Wan grabbed his hand. “If there is any left, we can find it and burn it too.” 

Jango nodded. “Ok. I feel like I got run over by a speeder. How is your hand?”

Obi-Wan held up his heavily bandaged hand, “it’s fine.”

Jango raised an eyebrow skeptically. 

Obi-Wan blushed, “I might never regain full range of motion, but it's a small wound in the long run.”

“I’m sorry.” Jango looked down, frowning. “I should have done something sooner.” 

“You were being literally mind controlled Jango! And you still helped, you got us out. We wouldn’t be here without you.” 

Jango looked up to search his face, he looked so vulnerable and open as he asked “are you real? Or am I dreaming?”

“I’m right here.” Obi-Wan said as Jango started to cry. 

“I kept dreaming I was back at Concordia House, it was all fixed up, sparkling and new. There were lilies growing inside and out, and the house was full of Vizslas. I was back in the center of the house and couldn’t leave. I was stuck.” 

Obi-Wan made a shushing noise, but when that didn’t stop the tears he climbed into bed with Jango. He settled under the blankets and pulled Jango towards him. Jango hid his face in Obi-Wan’s shoulder and cried. Obi-Wan wished he’d had real nightmares, instead that dream filled him with a quiet dread. 

Obi-Wan talked softly about all the things they had to look forward to in Coruscant. The tall shining buildings, the art museums, the parks and his home. How they would welcome Jango, give him a safe space to heal. He talked until his voice was horse and Jango had stopped crying. 

Jango looked up and asked, “but what if it never leaves me? Its in my flesh.”

Obi-Wan looked into his warm brown eyes and wondered if in the right light he would see a sheen of gold, or if one day he would see his blue eyes reflected gold. “We took the tincture, and we’ll cross that bridge of it happens.” He pressed a kiss to Jango’s temple, then pressed a soft one to his lips. “We’ll face it together.” 

They stayed together, warm and wrapped in eachothers’ arms as they drifted off to sleep. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for joining me on this wild ride! 
> 
> I imagine that none of them have biological kids out of fear of passing on the fungus. Instead Anakin reconnects with Padme and becomes a wonderful step-dad to her young twins. Jango and Obi-Wan stay together, never having a real wedding after their creepy first wedding, but they return to Mandalore on the third anniversary of their escape and say the traditional vows surrounded by Jango's cousins. They live a quiet life in Coruscant, Jango dedicated to his art and Obi-Wan happily continuing his language studies. Eventually they adopt a sweet boy, name him Boba, and give him a loving and safe childhood.

**Author's Note:**

> Let me know what you thought, or if I missed any important tags. I'm on tumblr @time-touches-eternity ❤️️


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